Patterns
by Ruffyan
Summary: Completed. MutantX in Smallville (crossover). DoubleHelix crashes in Smallville, will MutantX succeed in their mission or will their mission be their undoing?
1. Prelude

MutantX in Smallville-by Ruffyan and Benthos

DISCLAIMER:  _Just having fun.  I do not own any of the Mutant X or Smallville characters.   My thanks go to the producers, writers, cast and everyone having to do with the production of these excellent shows._

_A/N:  I guess you could call this a feeler… that's why it's short.  This is just an idea that me and Benthos are playing with.  We only have a couple chapters sketched out so far, so it could still go anywhere.  I wanted to post this under MutantX first because Mutant X is my favorite show, but I have no problems posting it under Smallville if the interest (reviews) is small. I'd like to see at least 7 reviews- different reviewers._

Prelude

It was dusk.   The cloaked Double Helix was lowering altitude as it neared its destination.  The Mutant X team within was relaxed yet alert, well rehearsed in their mission.  They were chatting about incidental things, Shalimar and Emma were planning a trip to the mall once they had completed the mission, Brennan and Jesse smiling indulgently.  Suddenly the air vehicle took a random bullet to the left wing.  The wing sheared off where it joined the Helix.  A gaping hole appeared in its side.  The Helix careened out of control.

"SHIT!"  Jesse fumed at the controls, trying desperately to compensate for the loss of balance.  As the Helix screamed and spun toward the ground, its cloak lost, Jesse worked frantically to control its landing.  

"Adam!  We're going down," Brennan shouted at the monitor.  

Adam had an intense expression of frantic concern and determination and was shouting something at them.  Everything was too loud, the Helix was screaming and shuddering all around them.  Adam's image was breaking up.  Shalimar had sprung to the emergency power grid toward the back of the cabin.  The problem was that although Adam had installed a secondary power source and backup CPU as precaution to such emergencies, this time it wasn't a loss of power, it was a loss of stability,  A bullet had struck the seam that intersected the wing and body of the vehicle.  The Helix crashed in a field, plowing up rows of corn then secondary woodland growth.  It came to a halt and there was silence.   Darkness fell.

Inside the Helix, Emma awakened, her head and body screaming with pain.  Blood was still trickling darkly from a gash in the side of her head. 

 "What happened? Where am I?" she asked groggily.  There was no answer.  All was dark and silent.  She sat up and considered her predicament.   "Who am I?"  

Seeing the outline of an opening in the side of the VTOL silhouetted by the moonlight outside, Emma crawled through the hole and wandered outside into the darkness.  Stumbling and falling a couple times, eventually, she found a road and wearily followed it.  As a pair of headlights approached, Emma turned to face the approaching car.  She stumbled onto the road into its path then collapsed.  The silver Jaguar XK8 convertible screeched to a halt.  Emma could hear footsteps running, approaching her.  A woman's concerned voice, asked her if she is all right, experienced hands quickly checking her for injuries.  A man's voice, friendly but also concerned asked her what happened?  Emma looked up and saw the man, early 20's, medium height, athletic build, bald.  He looked familiar somehow.  His hazel eyes had a knowing, concerned look; they had the cynical quality of a child who learned about life too soon. The woman was beautifully catlike.  She had long dark hair and like her male counterpart had an athletic build.  She was beautiful like….Emma couldn't remember who.  She sensed the couple's sincerity and relaxed.  She could feel their mutual affection for each other as they worked together as a team to load her into the passenger seat of the Jaguar.  The woman squeezed in beside her and placed one arm behind the seat and the stretched the other out against the dash.  As the stress of the past few hours took its toll, Emma's head rolled to the side and she fell asleep.

The man looked at his companion questioningly.  

"Helen?"   Her dark eyes gazed into his hazel ones.  She nodded.   Lex Luther started the car and sped off to Smallville Hospital. 


	2. Damage Control

Damage Control

A/N: Thanks for the feedback!  Refreshing and inspiring.  BTW, I rewrote the first chapter to clarify a couple things-it's probably shorter than this Author's note so please reread.

Hardcore and Susan- I can't answer your question about the bullet just yet without spoiling the story.  It will be answered in a future chapter though.  And this happens post-GSA.  The story is set near the end of S2 for both shows but before the season-enders: before Clark starts hearing voices, before Chloe and Clark's falling out, but after Lex and Helen are engaged;  after Adam's brush with the Tribunal but before Mason's hair turns black.  Hehe -  had to get him in somewhere.  I needed Lex to start off the first round.  Don't worry, Clark is not far behind.

Goldstranger- Emma's not the only one going to the hospital….Yep. There's gonna be a lot of risk of exposure ; ) before we finish this story…..  yells over to Benthos – you REALLY think we're gonna dig ourselves out of this one?

Redhead- actually, I meant to describe Lex as having knowing eyes, the consequences of growing up too soon, of having the gift of being an excellent judge of character.  He really does have intriguing expressions.  You'll find out about the rest of the characters  in this chapter.

Ace- hey! Hope you like what I do to Brennan and Jesse in this chapter.  Clark makes his debut here too.  Hmm.  Clothes burnt off?  Looks around innocently

Iris- Elex?  Has potential…but soooo close to the wedding? Then again I have suspicions about Helen after the S2 ender so just maybe…..

Magic- A Shal and Bren relationship does exist, I'm not sure how far to take it because being an equal opportunity writer, I want to play with the others too.  No slash, however.  Let's see how the story writes itself.  There's an awful lot of potential.

Bri, Deb, Chesterz and BlackPanther- thanX for writing me the encouragement.  It helps me to buckle down and write.

**********************************                    ******************************************************************

It was full dark when the farmer located the crashed VTOL. 

He had been headed home from working in the fields when he saw the outline of the small aircraft, flying all too close, hurtle out of the sky above him.  He heard the craft's shrill mechanical scream as it passed overhead wobbling and spinning then he heard a deadened metallic thunk followed by muffled thunder.  He felt the earth quake beneath him.  He headed out at a trot toward the sound, dreading what he might find yet hoping that the occupants might be alive.  The small aircraft seemed to have been leveling out its descent when it hit ground, perhaps at that angle, it might have skipped like a flat stone on the surface of the water, perhaps a soft landing, perhaps….  The farmer was too far from the house to run back and call for help.  He was already late getting home and he knew that his wife would send their son out to him if she got worried.  

After 40 minutes of wandering through a maze of corn by the light of the moon, the farmer finally found himself warily circling the downed craft, looking for an opening.  Finding the door, he tugged at it, but it wouldn't open.  Grunting with annoyance, he kicked at it. 

 "Hello!  Is anyone in there?" he shouted.  He listened but heard nothing.  He feared for the lives of the occupants, was afraid at the carnage he'd see.  "God help us," he said fervently.  

Wishing he had a flashlight, he circled the craft again.  The moonlight now outlined the small hole that Emma had crawled out of earlier.  He cautiously poked his head through the opening into the blinding darkness of the small compartment.  He could smell blood.  

"Hello?  Anyone in here?  Can I help?"  Suddenly a pair of golden eyes glowed at him in the darkness.  Startled, he quickly pulled back and bumped the back of his head.

"Who are you?" a female voice half-whispered.

"I'm here to help you," the farmer replied, straining to see the owner of the voice.  The glowing eyes vanished and he could hear a woman speak softly to someone else further back in the aircraft.  He could hear the sound of struggling; the woman, trapped, grunted and growled in frustration as she struggled to free herself.  

He started as his teenaged son, Clark, suddenly appeared beside him, offering him a flashlight.

"I just got home.  Mom heard the crash and thought you'd need this, Dad" he said.  

"Thanks," Jonathan Kent replied, looking up at the starlit heavens.  He shined the flashlight into the compartment.

His eyes widened in horror at the sight.  A fair-haired woman pinned against a panel and the metal casing of their craft struggled futilely to free herself.  She was scratched and disheveled, bleeding and obviously in pain, yet she said nothing of her own pain. A young blond man lay motionless in a pool of blood.  A tall, athletically built, dark-haired man, his shirt having been ripped into shreds, stood silently over him.  Upon closer look, Jonathan found that the reason the dark-haired man was standing at all was that he had been skewered onto a metal shaft.  He was barely conscious and was deathly pale in the flashlight's weak glow.  The woman kept urging him to stay awake.  

"C'mon Brennan," she pleaded as she extended her hand toward him, straining to touch him but not quite able to reach.  "Help is here.  Stay awake."  The beautiful blond woman turned and fixed her expressive dark eyes on him.  "Help us."  She said.

Armed with flashlight, Clark discretely widened the opening then he and his father squeezed through and crawled into the Helix.  They found themselves in a stuffy closed compartment within a bizarre contortion of metal.  The older Kent propped the flashlight up on a ledge bathing the small space in its feeble light.

Clark's eyes widened at the horror before him.  

"Jesse…is he dead?" the blond woman asked hesitantly.  Jonathan immediately checked pulse of the man lying in the pool of blood.  

"Clark, see if you can wake him," Jonathan said grimly, moving on to Brennan.  Brennan was pale, his labored breathing irregular.  The young man was still conscious but apparently conserving his strength.  Jonathan was impressed at the discipline of these young people.  Jonathan noted that the metal shaft had punctured the young man's shoulder under the shoulder blade and protruded up under the collarbone.  He was still bleeding profusely.   He hoped that the lung or pulmonary artery hadn't been pierced.  

 "Clark, can you remove this without jarring him?" 

As he knelt next to Jesse, Clark looked up helplessly at the mangled flesh and the sharp metal protrusion that his father was pointing to.  His large green eyes were pensive as he stared at the injured man using his x-ray vision.  "He has a fractured rib and collarbone, Dad,"  he said.  Shalimar watched Clark thoughtfully.  "I don't see any damage to the lung but it looks like a major vein has been pierced.."

The older Kent nodded silently.  Jesse suddenly stirred and groaned.

"Jesse!"  Shalimar cried.  The blond man's eyes fluttered open and he stared in alarm at the blood he was covered in.  He tentatively touched his face and winced as he tried to move.    "I'm fine," he grunted.  He realized that it was Brennan's blood that he was lying in and rolled over carefully, taking inventory of bodily damage.

"Brennan's hurt badly.  He's…" Shalimar's voice broke, "impaled on a metal joist".   

Jesse snapped out of the mental fog he was in.  Pulling himself up to his feet, he nodded briefly at Jonathan and Clark Kent.  "I need you to hold him up.  I'm going to phase him off the joist."

"Phase?"  Clark asked.

Jesse stared helplessly at Shalimar.  "I've got to get him off that joist.  We have no choice," he said, "we have to trust them."

"I could help if you could get me out of this," Shalimar replied.  Jesse started to walk toward her, but Clark had already reached her.  

He exchanged glances with his father.  "And we have to trust them so we can save them," he said, indicating the strangers.  Clark grasped the panel that was pinning the blond woman and easily pulled it away from her.  Shalimar dropped to the floor, rubbing her hip and flexing her arms and legs experimentally to see if anything was broken.  

"Thanks," she said to Clark.  "You're a pretty strong guy."  

Clark nodded, marveling that the panel must have weighed a ton yet the woman seemed relatively unhurt.  Focusing her attention on Brennan she continued, "But he could bleed to death if you remove that joist, Jesse." 

"Uh, I might be able to cauterize the wound," Clark offered.

"With what, a blow torch?"  Shalimar retorted, then immediately regretted her outburst.  "I'm sorry…." She said, "Just a little touchy just now."   She tried to smile.

"We're trying to help, Miss," Jonathan told her, touching her hand cautiously trying to be reassuring.  "My son may be able to help your friend if we can carefully remove the metal from his shoulder.  But we have to move quickly."

"I'll phase it out of him," Jesse repeated, but he's gonna gush as soon as he returns to his normal physical state."  Clark looked at Jesse questioningly.  Jesse looked at Clark.  "You gotta just trust me on this.  You need to start cauterizing as soon as we have removed Brennan from the joist.  Don't worry at how he'll look. Just do it. "  He nodded at Brennan and added, "he's like a brother to me."  

Clark nodded.  "I've never done this before but I'm sure I can do it.  It would be a rough job and I might damage another part of his body to access that damaged area, but I can try."

"Don't try. Just do it.  Brennan's dying."  Shalimar said forcefully standing to the left side of Brennan.  

"Miss, you sure you're strong enough to support him?"  Jonathan asked.  Shalimar shot him a Feral stare and Jonathan backed down. 

Jonathan took his place on Brennan's right side.  Shalimar explained, "This is all going to happen fast.  Jesse's going to dissolve the joist and then we'll be supporting Brennan's weight.  We'll let him down onto the floor face up so Clark can work on him."

Clark and his father exchanged glances.  Jesse touched the side of the Helix and the metal joist and concentrated.  Shalimar watched intently, looking for the moment where the metal would dissolve momentarily into air.  "NOW!" she cried, "pull him away now!"  

Clark noticed the metal rod protruding from the man's shoulder seemed to dissolve away.  Shalimar and Jonathan caught the injured man as he collapsed away from the wall that he had been impaled on.  Moments later, they had him lying on the floor, blood was still flowing freely from the gaping hole.  Jonathan noticed that the metal girder was still in place, stained with Brennan's blood but no longer transparent.  He frowned thoughtfully.   Jesse leaned forward, keeping a hand on Brennan's shoulder and gestured Clark to do his work.  Clark noticed that the man's shoulder seemed to be transparent, like a ghost.  He used his x-ray vision to verify damage, then directed a heat beam into the wound while Jesse kept Brennan's shoulder in an intangible state.  Finished after several seconds, Clark looked at Jesse.  

"I'm done," he said.  The sandy-haired man took a deep breath and the shoulder returned to a solid physical state.  Brennan lay there with his eyes closed, unmoving.

"Jesse?"  Shalimar was looking at him frantically, trying to hide her anxiety.  

"I'm sorry Shal.  Might have been too late, I tried to keep the outer layer intangible so he could work on the insides…" Jesse replied, his voice catching.  He looked down, hiding the single tear that ran down his cheek.  Shalimar patted Brennan's face frantically, touching his hands, trying to make him comfortable.  

Eyes glittering with tears, she sniffed, "C'mon you bastard, don't you give up."

"We have to bring him to a hospital," Jonathan told Shalimar.

Shalimar looked worried.  "Jesse, can we raise Adam?"

"I've stopped the bleeding for now, M'am," Clark explained, but he'll die if we don't do anything.  Shalimar and Jesse exchanged glances.

"Where's Emma?"  Jesse asked suddenly.

"Another?"  Jonathan exclaimed, looking frantically in the remains of the Helix for another body.  Shalimar's eyes glowed eerily again while Clark's eyes glowed red with his super-vision as they glanced around the small compartment.  They found traces of footprints leading outside of the craft.

"She's not here." They both said at the same time, startling each other with their strange eyes.  

"Clark, if you were in Brennan's shoes, would you want to be in a hospital?"  Shalimar asked the angular youth.

Clark regarded her carefully with his green eyes.  "No," he replied thoughtfully, "but it's a risk worth taking for my family and for the good I would plan to do if I lived."

Shalimar pursed her lips.  The kid seemed to be speaking from experience.  She kissed Brennan gently.  Reluctant that he should leave her, she touched his face tenderly.  Jesse wordlessly put his hand on hers and with tears glimmering in her eyes, nodded at Clark.  Clark effortlessly lifted Brennan as if he was a fragile doll, wondering if these people had been altered by the meteor shower;  the things he had just witnessed were remarkable.  It was no wonder they were so reluctant for their friend to go to the hospital.  A moment later, he was gone.  The opening into the Helix was much larger.  Shalimar blinked.

"Where'd he go?" Jesse asked in wonder.  "He was here one second and gone the next!" 

"He's taking your friend to the hospital."  Jonathan Kent replied.  "Are you two ok?  Who's Emma?  It's a ten-minute walk back to the house but we could bring you to the hospital in my truck."

Torn between her need to be near Brennan and the need to find Emma, the distress in Shalimar's eyes was incredible.  "We need to find Emma first," Shalimar replied.  "But we would love it if you would give us a ride to the hospital." 

"It's dark," Jonathan remarked.  "We'll be powerfully lucky if we find your friend in the dark."

"If she's out there, Shalimar will find her."  Jesse replied, retrieving a small searchlight from a box in the ruins of the Helix.  They ranged far out in the cornfield, calling Emma's name.  There was no response.  After 20 minutes, Shalimar's voice addressed Jesse's com-link.  "I picked up a trail that led to the road, but it ended a couple miles from here.  She seems to be able to move, although there are indications that she fell a couple times."  Shalimar added in a frustrated voice,  "I don't know why we can communicate with each other, but not with Adam."

"Shal, she's most likely in good hands.  Probably picked up a ride.  I'm just surprised that she hasn't replied on her com-link."  Jesse replied into his ring.

"I hope you're right." Shal replied.  The three trudged back to the Kent farmhouse in the moonlit darkness.

"As soon as we get in, you get cleaned up a little." Jonathan said.  "Martha will call Pete to meet Clark at the hospital with the truck.  He lives in town and can get there close enough to Clark's arrival to vouch for him. We can get there in about 20 minutes."  Jonathan considered them for a moment.  "Do you have family you need to call?"

"Yes sir,"  Jesse replied.

"Feel free,"  Jonathan said then added, "Name's Kent, Jonathan Kent."

"Thank you Mr. Kent,"  Shalimar replied.


	3. Intensive Care

3- Intensive Care

_A/N: Please forgive my ignorance of certain hospital procedures, just trying to get the flavor of it to move the story along.Thank you all for the reviews, encouragement and ideas. Hope you enjoy this next installment._

_***************************************   **************************************_

In the lobby of Smallville Hospital, Clark stopped in his tracks as he spotted his friend standing at the receptionist's desk.

"Hey Lex!  What brings you here?  You OK?"  Clark asked incredulously, eyeing the spattering of blood on his friend's shirt.  Lex Luthor ran a hand over his bald head and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the blood drenched on the sleeves and front of Clark's flannel shirt.

"Hey yourself.  Are YOU ok?"  Lex replied, walking quickly toward his friend with a concerned look on his face.  

"Oh, it's not me," Clark answered.

"Sir, you should get out of that shirt," a nurse told Clark.  Clark looked around the empty lobby then obediently unbuttoned and removed his soggy shirt.  "Biohazard precautions," she said, looking up at his muscular form with a tiny smile.  The nurse put on some latex gloves and placed Clark's shirt in a plastic bag and handed it back to him.  She handed him some blue hospital scrubs to put on.  The nurse then turned to Lex.  "You too, sir.  You have a stranger's blood soaking through your shirt and should remove it.  Biohazard precautions."

Lex looked at the nurse, then at Clark with a pained expression.  "You got a bathroom or a changing room around here?"  He asked.

"You'll need to clean up as well.  The men's room has a supply of antimicrobial soap that you may want to apply to yourselves then rinse well," the nurse told Lex and Clark as they headed toward the men's room.

"Well?"  Clark asked, as he dried himself with a wad of paper towels, "since when did you get so shy around women?"  He teased,  "and why are you spattered with blood?"

Lex grinned back and adjusted the blue scrubs, trying to make it pass for a shirt.  "Since my dear fiancé happens to work here."

"That never stopped you before," Clark laughed.

"Did you see the way that nurse was eyeing you?"  Lex remarked.

"Aw, she's not my type," Clark replied as they headed back to the lobby.

 Getting serious, Lex said, "Helen and I picked up a hitchhiker.  She seemed pretty battered, didn't say anything, just passed out in the car after we loaded her in.  Helen got snagged to do an emergency procedure as soon as we got here."  He shook his head ruefully.  "She does have a knack for timing her visits here.  What brings you here at suppertime soaked in blood?"

"Hospital food," Clark replied with a mischievious twinkle.  His face sobered quickly.  "Actually we brought in the emergency."  He nodded at Pete who having been briefed minutes ago by Jonathan over the phone, had just arrived and was standing a few feet away in the near-empty waiting room looking extremely bored.  

************** break ****************

Meanwhile, in the emergency room, Brennan lay still and deathly pale on the hospital cot.  Blood slowly pooled into the ragged hole in his upper torso.  Dr. Bryce drained and examined a massive puncture wound on the front and had the attendants roll him enough to view the point of entry in back.  She shook her head as she gazed at the scratches and welts on his well muscled body and prepped him for surgery.     

"Pressure's dropping, doctor."  A nurse reported.  "80 over 45"

"Got him typed yet?" she asked aloud.  "He's gone into shock from blood loss."

"John Doe 423 is A-positive," another nurse answered, reading a lab report.

"Great," Dr. Morris whispered sarcastically.  "An uncommon blood type."  Aloud, he said after checking the ID bracelet on Brennan's wrist, "ID confirmed, he needs at least 2 units to stabilize him but will need four."  

"There's none in inventory, and we checked for O-negative there are only 2 units left since that tractor accident earlier today."

Dr. Helen Bryce exchanged worried glances with Dr. Morris and cursed softly to herself. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself, there was no need to vent her frustration, they were all doing the best they could.  

"Then hook up one unit and increase the saline output," Dr. Morris replied. "And get 2 cc epinephrine ready, just in case," he added.  

"Still dropping, doctor- he's 75 over 43…"  the nurse reported, then suddenly the EKG lines on the monitor started to randomly scribble up and down.  Brennan's eyes opened, their brown color changing to blue.  He convulsed and emitted a low groan.

The monitor alarms went off as his heartbeat could no longer be found.  The Code Blue alarm went up.  

*********  break  ***************

"Hey um, we'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mention seeing me phase that metal post out of Brennan,"  Jesse mentioned to Jonathan as they neared the hospital.

"Hm."  Jonathan mused thoughtfully.  "And Ms. Shalimar has eyes that glow in the dark and tracking abilities of a bloodhound." (Shalimar bristled at the description, but kept quiet.)  "I suspect that your friend Brennan has some special abilities as well?"  Jonathan asked.

Jesse nodded.  Martha Kent looked at her husband carefully.  He seemed to be in an unusually talkative mood this evening.

"Well, you know," Kent replied, "something weird happens in Smallville Hospital almost every week, in fact just a couple months ago Martha here died and a spaceship came and brought her back to life and saved the baby.  Nobody seemed to think much of it."  He lapsed back into a thoughtful silence as he sped the truck into a parking spot near the hospital entrance.  Jesse and Shalimar exchanged mystified looks.

Clark, Lex and Pete looked up as Shalimar, Jesse, Jonathan and Martha Kent burst into the hospital lobby.  

"How is he?"  Shalimar gasped at Clark.  Lex raised an approving eyebrow at the sight of the blonde Feral and looked questioningly at Clark. 

"He's in the Emergency Room."  Clark answered, ignoring the question in his friend's expression.

"CODE BLUE, E-W.  CODE BLUE, E-W."  A voice quietly paged from the PA system.  Jesse and Shalimar's eyes widened in horror.  Jonathan, Martha, Clark and Pete looked down.

Shalimar broke away and followed her instincts to the shuttered room where the emergency team was working on Brennan.  Jesse, Clark and Pete followed.  Shalimar leaned across the shaded window, straining to get closer.  Through the closed blinds she could see bits of movement.  Her superior hearing  informed her that the worst had happened.  She stretched her hand longingly across the window.  Pete approached her and placed a sympathetic hand on the intent Feral's arm.  Startled, Shalimar reflexively swung her arm, hurling Pete senseless against a bank of lockers that stood opposite the window of the Emergency Ward.

************** break ***********

Emma awakened in her hospital room. The light had been dimmed for her, a monitor for her pulse was wired to her arm.  She lay there for a couple moments trying to sort out her thoughts and an influx of strange, alien thoughts that chattered through her mind.  There was an emergency, she could sense the concern and fear, just like…. it was coming back to her now:  the mission, the crash, and now she was here.  Emma sat up, testing her sore muscles.  Her head still ached dully and inside it was a cacophony of voices.  Shalimar, Jesse.  They were here, but she couldn't pick up Brennan.  And they were gravely concerned about him and…about her?  They didn't know where she was.  

Emma pulled the wires off her arm and jumped out of bed.  The monitor beeped incessantly so she turned it off.  A nurse approached her as she wandered the hall toward the waiting room.  Emma smiled charmingly and telempathically altered the woman's perception of her.  The nurse smiled back and told her, "The waiting room is down the hall, take a left turn at the end."

Emma thanked her.  As she entered the waiting room, she noticed a middle aged couple speaking with the young, bald man who she had met before she passed out.  Shalimar, Jesse and Clark were being escorted back into the waiting room by an orderly.  

"We'll let you know, M'am."  He said.  Shalimar wept softly while Jesse put an arm around her shoulders and tried to comfort her.  Clark rejoined his parents and Lex Luthor.  

"Shal?  Jesse?"  Emma said softly.  The two sprung around and clasped Emma in their arms.  

"Emma!  You're all right!"  Shalimar had tears in her eyes.  

"Thank God you're ok!"  Jesse exclaimed.

"Where's Brennan?"  Emma asked.  Her friends filled her in on the details.

 "Looks like our hitchhiker is feeling better," Lex commented.

"Looks like they all know each other."  Clark added.  Clark and Lex walked over to join the trio.  Shalimar, arm around Emma, smiled wanly at them.  

"Clark, this is Emma, who we were looking for earlier tonight."  Emma studied Clark then Lex.  A look of recognition passed across her face and she looked at Shalimar and Jesse.  They nodded.

Clark sheepishly grinned and said, "I'm sorry, this is my friend, Lex."

Lex smiled in a charming, self-depreciating manner and added, "Helen and I brought you here.  I'm glad to see that you're feeling better."  Emma stared at him for another moment, her expression was far away.  Lex returned the gaze with an inquisitive one of his own.  Emma caught herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry to space out like that," she stammered, "you reminded me of someone.…"  Jesse put a friendly hand on her shoulder.  

"Nasty scratch?" he asked, indicating the bandage on the right side of her forehead.  

"Yeah, I seemed to have bumped my head."  Emma replied.  Looking back at Lex, she said, "thanks for the lift, Mr. Luthor."  Lex responded with a troubled expression but replied pleasantly enough, "No trouble at all, although the Luthor family may be public figures, I'm always somewhat startled that perfect strangers know me."

Jesse pulled a newpaper clipping from his wallet.  "Public figure."  He replied, handing the article to Lex.  Lex raised his eyebrows at the picture.  He was looking at a wedding picture of himself and Desiree, the woman he had temporarily married while under the influence of her enhanced pheromones.

"That's Lorna Templeton," Jesse said. 

*************** break **************

In the Emergency Room, orderly havoc broke out.

"Epinephrine not working.  Paddles, STAT!"  Helen barked.  She applied the paddles to Brennan's still body.  Applying voltage, his body convulsed and leaped from the cot, but there was no heartbeat.  Dr. Morris applied CPR, alternately watching the monitor and Brennan's chest for the wound to reopen.

"Ramp it up two-fold,"  Dr. Bryce told the attendant.  She applied the paddles again.  "C'mon, John Doe, live!"  She told her patient intensely.  Brennan's body arched then collapsed again.  Helen glanced at the monitor which was still giving a shrill unbroken monotone.  "Damn.  Six-fold increase!"  she shouted.

"But that's lethal,"  the assistant started to say.

"-He's lost vital signs 30 seconds now.  Do it."  She breathed fiercely.  She applied the paddles.  Brennan convulsed and arched.  He drew in a ragged breath, holding it, remaining tense, stiffly arched on the cot.  Suddenly all the lights dimmed.

"Emergency lights," Dr. Morris said warningly.  Someone hit the backup switch, not wanting to wait for the system to do it automatically.  Brennan relaxed and slumped back in the cot.  He was breathing shallowly now, the heart monitor was showing a restored heartbeat.

"Blood pressure is 110 over 60," the assistant said.  Dr. Bryce stood over Brennan's unconscious form, holding his wrist to measure his pulse.  

"That was a close one," Helen said softly.  For a moment, she thought she saw a ghost of a smile flicker across her patient's face.  

************ break *****************

In the waiting room, Dr. Bryce met with the group waiting there.  She met Emma's gaze.  A thoughtful expression crossed her face and Emma with a slight nod of her head altered her perceptions.

"So I see they released you early, Miss ah…"

"Emma.  Emma Wise."  Emma said, adhering to the original plan that had been set up for their mission.  "Thank you very much," she smiled at Dr. Bryce and at Lex Luthor "for rescuing me."

"That's what we do," Helen replied gently.  Turning to Clark she said, "Your friend has had a severe loss of blood.  We've averted a major crisis just now and he seems stable, but he needs a transfusion.  Ideally, we'd like to get him A-Positive blood, which is somewhat rare, but a donation of O-negative in the next few hours would be extremely helpful."  Helen wanted to ask them what caused their injuries but Shalimar interrupted.

"I'm B-Positive.  Can I help Brennan?"  

Jesse looked up from his conversation with Jonathan Kent and said, "I'm afraid that we're all incompatible with Brennan."  Dr. Bryce looked at him questioningly.  Jesse added, "we work together and had been tested before."

Jonathan Kent was saying,  "You're all invited to the house for a good meal and you're welcome to stay overnight.  I know it's been a rough time for you." 

Emma and Shalimar looked at him gratefully.  "Thank you, sir."  Shalimar said.

"Hmm.  My father has A-Positive blood," Lex told Helen almost absently, "but I doubt you would get him to part with any of it."

"You've got to at least try.  He's at the mansion isn't he?" Clark asked.  Lex pulled out his cell phone and ducked outside of the hospital.  He came back in a moment later looking angry and puzzled.

"Lex?"  Martha questioned.  "Wasn't Lionel there?"

"No, m'am."  Lex answered.  "We usually keep the answering machine on with a backup, but both seem to be offline.  The phone just kept ringing and ringing.  Something isn't right."

Clark took advantage of the moment.  "Let's head over there.  Maybe we can talk him into helping out our friends here."  Lex rolled his eyes but nodded.  He was uneasy.  Something definitely felt wrong.

"Clark and I'm heading up to the mansion," Lex told Helen, kissing her.  "We'll be back soon.  


	4. Disclosure

4- Disclosure

_A/N:  Sorry, been having a devil of a time trying to download this chapter, not able to access FF.net .   Obviously I'm setting them all up for something….  And thanks, I love your reviews._

***************************************************

 "So what do you think of those people?" Lex asked Clark as they sped toward the mansion in the Jaguar.

Clark shrugged. "We didn't have much time to talk; their friend was in such bad shape we had to get him to the hospital quick.  I think they are a group of corporate people who crashed their plane en-route to wherever their business led."

"Plane?" Lex commented.

"Yeah. It was in pretty horrible shape,"  Clark replied.  "They were lucky to get out alive."

"Where did it crash, Clark?"

"Oh, not far from the house," Clark replied.  "I wouldn't be surprised if the police is all over the place now."  

Lex glanced at Clark skeptically.  "They might not even be aware of it.  Did anyone call them?"

"I'd expect so, but we were so busy getting them out of the wreckage…"

"Hm.  Maybe we can swing by there after we check out the mansion for Dad," Lex wondered aloud.  "They obviously recognized me and I'm certain their business intentions concerned  me."  Lex said, focusing on the road.  "The fellow named Jesse handed me this."  He handed the news clipping with photograph of Desiree and Lex.  Clark looked at it and whistled softly.  

"Do you think Helen will be upset to see this?"

"Naw.  We have no secrets from each other,"  Lex replied casually, glancing at Clark to see if he reacted.  "She knows about Desiree and Desiree is history."

Clark and Lex arrived at the mansion to find it in shambles.  "Dad?" Lex called.  There was no answer.  "Frank!"  Lex shook the unconscious bodyguard.  "That's Frank Rose, my dad's assistant," he told Clark.  Frank began to stir and grabbed his head in pain.  There was a slamming noise behind them that made them jump and look around nervously.  Unable to find anyone, Clark and Lex returned and supported the thirty-ish man as he sat up and described what happened. 

"A large group of trained fighters invaded the mansion," Frank replied.  "We asked them what they wanted, but they wouldn't answer.  They went through every inch of this room, pointing some sort of scanning machine around, and then checked out other rooms."  Lex's eyes took on a wild, concerned look but he refrained from bolting to his secret room. 

"Your father kept asking them by whose authority they were trespassing on a private citizen's property.  When they finally finished trashing the mansion looking for whatever they were looking for and they took him away, Mr. Luthor."  Frank closed his eyes and grimaced with pain.  The chandelier suddenly swayed erratically.

"They did a lot of damage," Clark commented.  "Better watch that chandelier," he added, eyeing it suspiciously.  Almost in shock, Lex continued to eye the damage.

"When did they arrive, Frank?" Lex asked.

"It was about 7pm."   Frank described a group of armed fighters overpowering him and Lionel Luthor.  He grasped his head as another jolt of pain exploded through the back of his head.  The sofa slammed against the wall.  Lex and Clark eyed the sofa, then the man suspiciously.

"Are you all right, Frank?"  Clark asked.

"Did you see that sofa move by itself?" Lex commented.  

"We should get you to the hospital," Clark said, wondering if this man had space-rock powers.  "You seem to be in a great deal of pain."

"No," Frank replied, running his hands over his crew cut hair.  "I'll be fine.  My head hurts where they hit me, I'll be fine."  Clark scanned the man discretely with his x-ray vision.  There was a small circular device imbedded in the back of his neck and not far from it, a small metal rod that looked like a nail piercing the back of his skull.

"I need to check something," Lex said, unable to contain himself any longer.  "Just yell if you need me, I'll be down the hall."  He bolted for his secret room, leaving Clark alone with Frank Rose.  Frank bowed his head to his knees, hands trembling as he sought for some semblance of control over his powers.  Another jolt of pain caused him to lose control again.  A large mahogany chest slammed against Clark, throwing him across the room.  Frank groaned as unbearable pain racked his head.  Clark, recovering quickly sped back to Frank's side.  

"What on earth are you doing!" he exclaimed ducking as an end table flew across the room for his head.   "You're the one who trashed this place, aren't you?  Where's Lionel Luthor?"

Frank didn't answer.  The pain was so great that eyes glazed over, he opened his mouth in a soundless scream of pain.  The wall near the fireplace started to fall apart.  Frank grabbed Clark's hand and placed it on his head where the metal rod was imbedded.  Nodding, Clark understood what the man was trying to tell him.  Concentrating, he focused an extremely thin heat ray at the base of the metal rod.  There was no telling what the heat would do to the man, but he indicated that the problem was here.  The metal turned a dull red and then back to a black color as the heat ray melted then disabled the rod-like device.  Frank collapsed in relief.  

"It worked.  Whatever you did, kid, I owe ya,"  he rasped.

"Oh, it was nothing that a good jackknife couldn't handle," Clark answered, wielding his knife, opened to the fine blade.  Frank Rose studied the youth skeptically, grey eyes calculating.  Just then Lex returned, looking relieved.  

"Anything Lex?"  Clark asked.

Lex shook his head.  

"We should go try to find your Dad," Clark said.  Lex stopped him.  

"No.  I don't owe him anything."   Lex said, replaying the security tapes as Frank sat motionless, recovering his strength.  Clark fidgeted, covertly scanning the room with his X-ray vision. 

"But what about trying to get him to donate some of his blood?"  Clark asked insistently.

Lex glared at Clark.  "Do you really think that my father would give one hoot about your friends' predicament?  He'd probably suggest that if your friend was that badly off that he be euthanized."  Lex glared a moment longer, wrestling with some thoughts of his own and returned to reviewing the security tapes.

After a few minutes, Lex called out, "Hey Clark, listen to this."  He played back a tape showing two of the masked men walking out of Lex's bedroom.  One of the attackers spoke into a communication device.

"We got the older Luthor.  Got his freak bodyguard under control. Too bad we couldn't make it a one-stop and bag his son as well."  Lex's face was expressionless except for his eyes.  His hazel eyes betrayed apprehension and anger. 

"We've got to find out what the hell they want with the Luthor family," Lex asked, "and what do they mean by freak bodyguard?  Does it have anything to do with things moving around by themselves since we arrived; is that why the mansion is in such a mess?"

Determined, Lex stared suspiciously at Frank Rose.  The man shrugged nervously, looked at Clark as if appealing for help, then looked at both of the young men almost mockingly.  Suddenly his eyes widened with apprehension as they fixed on something behind them.

"Hello, Frank.  Nice to see you again.  Cat got your tongue?"  Shalimar asked from the door.  The man known to her as Frank Thorne stared at her apprehensively.  His eyes widened and he scrambled backwards trying to get as far away from her as possible.  As Lex Luthor and Clark Kent studied him then Shalimar with puzzled looks, Thorne glanced wildly around the room for the companions he was sure had accompanied the Feral.

"Blast from your past?"  Emma stepping into view from behind Shalimar asked the shocked man.  Frank Thorne, his eyes still registering shock, scrambled to his feet and started to back away.

"Oh, c'mon.  You're not afraid of a couple of ladies are you?"  Shalimar asked in a sugary tone.

Frank, beginning to recover from the shock of seeing his old adversaries relaxed a little, but kept looking around as if expecting someone else to show up.   Emma indicated that he sit down and Frank Thorne complied.

"Excuse me, but do you people know each other?" Lex asked.

"I thought you were staying at the hospital,"  Clark blurted.

"We changed our minds.  Our friend is stable.  We thought we'd stop by and see the mansion.   Clark's folks dropped us off," Emma explained.  "Besides," she looked at the shambles around her, "looks like you can use some help cleaning up."

Lex smiled fixedly at Emma.  She looked at him startled and glanced at Shalimar in alarm at the gun in his hand.  He motioned Shalimar to step closer to Emma.

"Kind of you to offer, however, we seem to be missing my father," Lex answered, his expression like flint.  "Mr. Rose here is eminently qualified to protect my father, and I'm curious as to why he seems to be intimidated by you young ladies.  You obviously know each other.  And since you obviously have some business with the Luthors, perhaps you might have some clue as to where my father is?" 

***************   break  **************************

Lionel Luthor awakened in a small, clean but poorly lit cell.  He had been dumped onto a small cot that barely held his lanky frame.  A single incandescent light bulb hung above him, metal bars extended on all four sides from floor to ceiling.  The place smelled musty, as if an old cellar existed beyond the four walls of his immediate surroundings.

Lionel brushed the long, tousled hair out of his face and jumped to his feet.  Ignoring the urge to call out for help, he tested the strength of the bars.  Surprised at the absolute strength in the metal, he quietly and patiently tried each bar for weakness but found none.  Looking up at the ceiling, he noted that the ceiling had to be about eight feet high.  Standing on the cot, he hopefully pushed up against the ceiling tiles.  There was slight give as the tile lifted up an inch, just enough to allow a spattering of mouse droppings to roll through the opening and onto his upturned face.  Lionel Luthor hastily let go of the tile and disgusted, spat the filth from his lips, frantically shaking the dust out of his hair and off his shirt.  He spat again outside of his cell, then paced moodily, listening for sound, any sound in his dank isolation.

********************* break *******************

In the night, a tall, dark figure emerged from a cloaked VTOL and hurried toward the employee entrance of Smallville Hospital.  Producing a special card, he swiped it at the secured entrance and walked in.  The tall dark-haired man looked around briefly then walked resolutely toward Critical Care area.

Brennan lay sleeping, hooked up in a private room to all kinds of monitors and tubes. Jesse sat in a chair next to him, dozing, his hair more tousled than usual from having pulled at it so many times today.  The tall, dark-haired stranger quietly stepped into the room and perused the equipment that was monitoring the wounded Elemental.  He cast a sidelong glance at Jesse and placed a hand alongside Brennan's neck at the carotid artery.

Jesse suddenly sensing something different in his environment, exploded into wakefulness.  He looked up and saw the man standing barely a foot away from him, holding something against Brennan's neck.

"Oh, it's you, Adam."  Jesse exclaimed softly, relaxing.  "You should have woken me up."

Adam smiled.  "I apparently did.  Thought I'd let you rest.  He's doing well, considering what you told me about his condition."

"Yeah.  Shal and I heard the code Blue. We knew it had to be him and we were freaked. It was a minute or two later that the hospital lights dimmed down as if going through a power drain."  Jesse told him.

Adam nodded approvingly.  "Someone either knew enough or was desperate enough to ramp up the voltage to where Brennan's cellular level could assimilate the energy he needed to survive.  I'd bet on the latter, but my thanks to the person who made that call to ramp up the voltage."

"You're very welcome, sir."  Dr. Bryce replied as she stepped into the room to check on Brennan just in time to hear the thanks.  As Adam turned to look at her, she stared hard at him.  Her eyes suddenly lit up with recognition and disbelief as if she couldn't believe who she was standing face to face with.  "Dr. Kane?"  she asked, her brown eyes shining with awe.  Adam nodded, his dark eyes mysterious and unreadable as his gaze met that of Dr. Bryce.

"May I shake your hand?"  she asked fervently.

Adam looked a little startled, but replied pleasantly, "No trouble at all.  I may have been a public figure in the past but I'm always somewhat startled that perfect strangers know me."

Helen pulled off the surgical gloves that she had just put on prior to entering Brennan's room and shook his hand enthusiastically.  Adam's gaze dropped momentarily to the sparkling gem on her hand.  He raised an eyebrow and sighed imperceptibly with a resigned smile.

Apparently oblivious to Adam's reaction, Dr. Helen told Jesse excitedly, "Dr. Kane is the world-famous geneticist.  I've studied all of your papers," she told Adam.  Jesse smiled in indulgent amusement. 

"Dr. Kane, did you know that your works are required reading in Med School?  You write beautifully, making a complex subject so understandable!  I loved your dissertation on the genetic sequencing of drosophila melanogaster.  Why did you drop out of sight for so many years?  I never dreamed that you'd resurface here."  Helen was bursting with questions.  

Adam smiled gently down at her.  "And you are…?"

"Oh, I'm sorry.  I'm Dr. Bryce.  Helen Bryce."  the elegant woman replied, slightly flushed at her breach of etiquette.  "Dr. Morris and I resuscitated Brennan--Mr. Voltaire here," she indicated Brennan.  "He's one lucky man, to have been transported here so promptly.  While we were applying excess voltage to bring him out of cardiac arrest, we came close to losing power, but he hung on.  Thank God he's stable now."  The dark-haired doctor considered the situation for a moment and looked inquiringly at Adam and Jesse.  "You must know each other," she said lamely.

Adam returned to scanning Brennan.  "We are associates, Dr. Bryce, in the same business.  Brennan Voltaire and Jesse Wall," he indicated the two teammates, "and some other associates were flying in to Metropolis on a business trip.  Apparently their aircraft crashed somewhere near here."

Adam examined the readout on the tiny device and pulled out a small case from his lapel pocket.  He selected a small ampule and loaded it into a gunlike device.

"Is that FDA approved?"  Helen asked cautiously.  

 "This is a compound containing monoterpene and sesquiterpene alcohols, farnesol, citrals, paracymene, and terpinene adapted to a buffered, mineral base."  Adam looked calmly at the doctor and added reassuringly, "it's perfectly safe."

Dr. Bryce looked uncertainly at Adam for a brief moment, then nodded.  Adam injected the contents of the ampule into Brennan's arm.  "This will help his body's ability to rebuild cells and to ward off infection."

"Amazing," Helen said.  

Adam continued his examination.  Lifting the bandage carefully from the massive puncture wound, he held a portable scanner and watched the readings intently.  Looking gravely at Dr. Bryce, Adam said, "he'd do better with some light therapy, but you're facility isn't set up for it."  He sighed, placing the patch back over the wound.  "There had been some internal damage that had been nicely repaired," he said appreciatively.  "Aside from the general swelling and inflammation, he's in pretty good shape.  He's going to need lots of rest for a few days, keep him well hydrated and give him another dose of this, 2 cc's intramuscular in 2 days.  I know he's going to want to be back on his feet in a day or so, but not until his internal organs have healed completely.  

"C'mon Adam," Brennan protested weakly, his eyes still closed.  Adam and Jesse beamed.

"What a trooper," Jesse said.  

Adam smiled down at Brennan and placed a hand on his shoulder.  "Where's the others?" he asked Jesse.

"Over at the mansion," Helen interrupted.  "I live there with Lex.  I'm technically off-duty.  I can drive you over there."  The beautiful woman hesitated.  "Dr. Kane, may I speak with you privately in my office?"

Adam looked quickly at Jesse then nodded at the doctor.  He followed her into her office.  Closing the door, she studied Adam for several moments without speaking, her dark eyes pools of intense, conflicting emotion.  She unconsciously toyed with her engagement ring.  "I have always wanted to meet you, Dr. Kane.  You've been well, sort of a role model for me and an inspiration."  She licked her lips nervously and brushed the stray lock of hair out of her face.  "I wonder if you would mind looking at something for me, but you must promise not to say anything to Lex."


	5. Realities

Ch 5 - Realities  
  
. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Adam stood there uncertainly in Dr. Bryce's office. "Of course," he answered. "What do you want me to see?" Dr. Bryce smiled, looking relieved and went directly to the refrigerator and withdrew a securely packaged sample from a small canister. She prepped a slide with a drop of the blood and placed it under a microscope. Inviting Adam to take a look, she asked, "Have you ever seen anything like this before?" Adam stared at the slide for a long moment and his eyes widened in astonishment.  
  
He saw non-nucleated blood cells that had prominent double walls. Each cell contained 3 strands. He saw the equivalent of white blood cells as well with nucleus containing the strands and double walls as well.  
  
"Where'd you get this? It's unlike any human or animal morphology I've ever seen." Adam said. His interest was fully piqued. Even Ashlocke's blood didn't come close to showing differences this prominent. Adam wondered what an in-depth analysis would show; what kind of DNA this sample had?  
  
"It's from a patient who had been admitted a couple months ago. He healed quickly and was released within a day or two." Dr. Bryce explained.  
  
"I'd love to meet this person," Adam said fervently. "Did he or she exhibit any abnormal characterisistics or unusual abilities?" he asked.  
  
"None that I know of," Helen replied.  
  
Adam sighed. "May I keep this? I want to do a more thorough analysis in my lab, and can you spare perhaps one cc of the specimen?"  
  
Helen smiled at Adam's interest. "Of course, Dr. Kane. Would you let me know what you find out?"  
  
Adam nodded and placed the prepped slide in his pocket case. He would come back later for the specimen.  
  
"Would there be any chance of meeting this person?" he asked. Dr. Bryce's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.  
  
"I have to uphold doctor-patient confidentiality," she replied. "I've been protecting the identity of this person for some time. He is a good person. He doesn't deserve to be treated like a circus exhibit if this gets out," she replied gravely. Adam nodded, understanding.  
  
"And what do you think of Brennan's blood sample?" he asked, studying her expression. The doctor gazed at Adam, startled. Adam nodded knowingly. "A simple smear may not reveal abnormalities in the cell morphology, but I see that you've been testing other properties." He reached over and held up a voltmeter that had been sitting next to the microscope. "Very innovative, Doctor."  
  
Dr. Bryce smiled. "Brennan is a very unusual man," she said.  
  
Adam nodded in agreement. "I think it's time to check on him. He may not need that transfusion after all."  
  
Adam and Helen stopped by Brennan's room again. Adam glanced at the hospital monitors that were hooked up to Brennan's sleeping form then pulled out his portable bio-scanner. Jesse jumped out of his chair and watched. Holding it against Brennan's bandaged chest, Adam studied the display and smiled. "He's through the worst of it. He needs rest and nutrients to regenerate those damaged tissues." The dark-haired scientist adjusted the portable bio-scanner and placed it directly over the wound, set on an emit frequency. Brennan stirred in his sleep. "Hey, get that off me," he murmured.  
  
Adam held the device firmly against Brennan's chest. "He's feeling a warm sensation, perhaps some itching as the tissue heals at an accelerated rate."  
  
Dr Helen Bryce watched Adam work with fascination. "So this is what you've been doing during the years you dropped off the face of the medical world!" Adam bowed his head in acknowledgement.  
  
"Jesse built this model for me," he said.  
  
"To your specs," Jesse replied.  
  
After several minutes, Adam turned the device off and straightened. "He definitely won't need that additional transfusion. The compound that I gave him earlier is doing what it's supposed to."  
  
"We should let Lex know. He'll be pleased that his father's assistance will no longer be needed." Helen replied. "I can drive us there."  
  
Adam turned to Jesse. "You try to get some sleep. I'll get Shalimar to spell you."  
  
Later....Brennan opened his eyes groggily. He hurt all over. He could feel bandages, wires and needles attached to his bare torso. The sounds of hospital machinery buzzed and clicked around his head as the monitors recorded his progress and well-being.  
  
"Adam?" he called softly.  
  
"Hey Brennan," Jesse answered from a corner chair in his room. "Glad you're up. I was getting bored."  
  
"How bad is it?" Brennan asked.  
  
"You tell me. You took that last train ticket out of here a few hours ago, but I guess they didn't want you," Jesse kidded.  
  
"Not my time," Brennan replied with a thoughtful expression, trying to remember. All he could remember was Shalimar and how frantic she was to keep him awake as he died.  
  
"Where's Shal?" he asked.  
  
"They're all at the Luthor mansion." Jesse informed him.  
  
"Man, so we're missing out on some major action." Brennan complained.  
  
"Maybe not, if you keep healing at the rate you're going, you might even have a chance to say goodbye to the Luthors after the mission is completed."  
  
"That's not funny Jess," Brennan scowled. "Did Adam figure out why we crashed?"  
  
"He thinks that the group that is trying to kidnap the Luthors may be trying to prevent us from warning them. I'm afraid that they succeeded." Jesse said soberly.  
  
"They got both of them?" Brennan asked, grimacing as the chest wound began to throb.  
  
"No, just Lionel. Hey, you calm down and don't move ok? I don't want any more blood today." Jesse replied seriously.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Brennan turned his head and said, "Thanks, man for saving me."  
  
"You got a lot of people to thank for that." Jesse replied, turning his gaze out the window.  
  
****************** break *********************  
  
In the mansion, Emma exchanged glances with Shalimar. Clark laid his hand on Lex's arm and said, "Hey, no need to use that." Lex relaxed.  
  
Lex glanced at Clark then at Frank. "You know them Frank. Are they ok?"  
  
Lionel's bodyguard looked at the ladies apprehensively, then smirked. "They're not what they appear to be, Mr. Luthor," Frank replied.  
  
"Watch yourself Frank," Emma said quickly, looking at her old adversary warningly.  
  
At Emma's warning, Lex raised the gun and pointed it again at her and Shalimar. That small motion proved too much for the Feral. She pushed Emma to the side and bounded with lightning speed across the room, landed, crouched on the floor a few feet from Lex for a split-second before springing up and scissor-kicking the gun out of his hand. The short Feral landed on her feet and stood before the three men panting slightly, her dark eyes gleaming as she tossed her head to move the hair out of her face. Lex was startled into immobility. Clark also stood still, admiring the golden-haired Feral with an appreciative, half amused expression in his eyes. Frank Thorne leaned back against the mahogany chest and smirked again.  
  
"I have this tiny reaction to having guns pointed at me," Shalimar said sweetly, holding her finger and thumb about an inch apart.  
  
"That's quite athletic of you," Clark told Shalimar.  
  
"I train a lot," the golden haired women replied with a smile.  
  
Frank stood his ground next to Lex and looked at the Feral mockingly. "They're undercover agents," he half-lied. Emma and Shalimar stared at Thorne in astonishment.  
  
Lex looked at Frank interested. "And how do you happen to know this?" he asked.  
  
Frank Thorne leaned back against the mahogany chest and smiled as if reminiscing. "Your dad knows I worked for the US Government in my previous job. I was privy to certain information, if you get my gist. And these gals are OK," he added."  
  
"What about that comment about your being a freak bodyguard..." Lex asked and added after a moment, "and about making things move?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor. I was sworn to secrecy." Frank said resignedly, examining his gritty hands. Lex strode away in irritation. Clark felt someone staring at him. He turned his head and caught Emma's full gaze. The red-headed Tel-empath had been trying to read him and had a thoughtful, almost frightened look on her face.  
  
"Why are you covering for us, Thorne?" Shalimar hissed to the tele- kinetic.  
  
"As much as I dislike MutantX, I dislike Eckhart even more and I hear that he's back, with reinforcements. I got the feeling that someone is going to pay dearly for not taking me along with Mr. Lionel Luthor." Frank told her.  
  
"You think that Eckhart is responsible for this?" Shalimar whispered back.  
  
"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Lex demanded.  
  
"Sorry," Frank replied evenly. "We got back into talking shop."  
  
"Well, you can share your shop talk with the rest of us," Lex stated. "Maybe explain some anomalies."  
  
Emma suddenly hugged herself as if cold. She had a lost, scared little girl look about her and Lex, suddenly filled with compassion walked toward her.  
  
"Are you all right, Emma?" he asked in a caring voice. Emma shivered uncontrollably. Her Psionic senses were screaming at her.  
  
"I'm...fine. Just need a little air." Emma gasped.  
  
"Em," Shalimar started toward her.  
  
"It's ok," Emma replied, leaning into Lex's arm as he escorted her out the front door. There was just something about him that made her feel so at- home, so content, just like....she couldn't remember.  
  
"It must be that head injury," Lex reasoned as they stepped out doors.  
  
"Someone's coming." Emma pointed to a small sports car with two occupants that was speeding up the lamp-lit driveway and had now ground to a halt. Lex stared frozen in place as Helen and a tall, dark-haired man stepped out of the car. They were laughing and talking animatedly as two persons who shared the same passion would do. He fought jealousy and fear as the stranger stepped out of the passenger side and looked up at him. Lex's mouth dropped open as the stranger met his gaze in the dark.  
  
Helen Bryce stepped toward the walkway and looked up. She froze as she saw her fiance standing there in the light of the front entrance with his arm around the gothically attractive red-head that they had picked up earlier this evening. The beautiful brunette closed her eyes for a moment, willing the surge of jealousy to subside. Lex was faithful, she told herself. There was obviously a good reason for this. Taking a deep breath, she turned to introduce her guest.  
  
Adam, still smiling at a medical joke that Dr. Helen had told him, noticed the sudden silence as he exited the car. He looked up at the man who was holding Emma at his side. The world suddenly seemed to spin.  
  
Emma's eyes turned black as night. "This can't be happening," she gasped. It felt as if the universe was about to end. 


	6. Realities Part 2

Ch-6  Realities-2

"Emma!"  Adam yelled.

Adam felt disoriented.  He felt as if he was free-floating and spinning in space.  Strange visions intruded on his mind.  He glanced over at Emma.  She had collapsed into Lex's arms and her open eyes had turned into frightening black orbs in the lamp light.  She seemed to be staring at him.   

_She's projecting, Adam thought.  Precog? He wondered.  No, it was more than precog, but he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was._

"Emma!" Adam yelled again as he ducked out of her line of vision and raced toward her.  

_Emma found herself floating swiftly through a black haze filled with intense, dark emotions.  Her head was a dull ache somewhere in the distance and the force of sudden feelings of betrayal, hurt, anger, jealousy, possessiveness hit her from all sides at once.  Unable to barricade her mind, Emma absorbed these feelings and her senses reeled. Now her head hurt with knifelike stabs and as scene after scene engulfed her, she realized that she had changed somehow; she was now seeing far more than the feelings of the people around her…._

Almost frantic with concern, Adam raced from the car to the young man holding Emma whom he recognized in the dim light as Lex Luthor, one of the two subjects of Mutant X's mission, Dr. Bryce's fiancé.  Dr. Helen Bryce was close behind Adam.  Lex shot her a questioning glance but allowed Adam to help him support Emma.  They carried her back into the house.

"Adam!"  Shalimar greeted him with a smile that turned anxious at the sight of Emma.  

_Adam's voice was far away, calling her…._

_"Emma, HANG ON!    Emma…. Emma!"  But the Telempath was overwhelmed with a feeling of utter futility._

_"ADAM" she cried out into the darkness.  Hot tears stung her eyes as she felt their hands lose their grip on each other and on the slick metal surface they had been hanging on to.  They slipped away from each other and careened into the awful blackness.  She couldn't feel him in her mind any more._

Adam acknowledged the Feral's greeting with a curt nod as he and Lex gently laid her down on the couch.  "Emma, hang on," Adam urged the pale unconscious young woman, gently brushing the hair out of her face, injecting her with one of his life-saving concoctions that he never seemed to be without.  Shalimar, Clark and Frank kept out of his way.   The Telempath lay in a trancelike state, her eyes open, pupils widely dilated

_Emma desperately tried to change the outcome of the last sequence she just experienced. She sensed her environment shift.  The world spun around her and she found herself back in the DoubleHelix as it spun and careened wildly out of control.  Somehow, Emma was able to will the crazy spinning to stop.  There was still the sensation of falling, but she could see her way through a well furnished cabin toward the front of the plane.  Just before she opened the door, she glanced in the mirror and saw a reflection of Lex Luthor staring back at her.  "What's happening to me?  This can't be real," Emma wondered.  She tentatively opened the door and saw the plane she was on, falling out of the sky, hurtling toward the ocean…._

_"ADAM!"__  she screamed in terror.  Darkness engulfed her._

"Should I call an ambulance?" Lex asked.  Adam forced a smile and declined the offer with a shake of his head.  There were other issues at stake here and now.   Lex watched almost jealously as Helen and Adam worked as a team on Emma.  Dr. Bryce quickly examined the head injury that she knew would be there while Adam laid out his miniature equipment and supplies.  

"Inflamed."  The dark-haired woman said, gently but firmly turning Emma's head so that the wound was exposed.  Adam ran a scan on Emma with his portable, his eyes concerned at the extent of the damage.   

_Adam's dark eyes glittered with concern as he stepped out of the darkness and met her gaze. Emma blinked and the man before her suddenly became young Lex watching  her with concern.  Emma shook her head, confused.  Why was she seeing both Lex and Adam, as if they were the same person?  Why couldn't she lock on to Adam?_

_" Adam," Emma murmured feverishly trying to reach out to her mentor._

"She looked like she wasn't feeling well, said she needed some air,"  Lex commented.

_"Emma," Adam's voice laughed inside her head warningly, "did you do this?"_

_The Telempath tried to penetrate the black haze, growing more uneasy that she was unable to discern between Adam or Lex. Emma sensed another shift, as if she had stepped from one place to another.  The murky haze was still there and suddenly Adam's face was before her, his expression hard and sinister.  Someone else was there as well.  Emma forced her gaze past Adam and saw another man in the background.  He was 30ish, powerfully built and handsome.  His dark hair was cropped short and emblazoned on his chest was the letter 'S'.  He turned toward Emma, his expression was mild and curious but his eyes suddenly turned red as he carefully applied a heat ray to a nearby surface.  Emma realized that the man was being held captive and was trying to escape.   Emma stared at the man.  He looked a lot like __Clark__ _Kent___.  Adam now turned to the man with an evil smile and held a green rock out toward him.  The man collapsed._

_"Adam!"__  Emma shouted.  "You're killing him!"  The dark-haired man stared at her with cold detached curiosity and didn't respond.  Emma tried reading him and suddenly she was looking at young Lex Luthor.  Despite his stoic appearance, Lex's hazel eyes held a deep sadness. Emma sensed that a life-changing disaster had taken place._

_"Mr. Luthor?"__  Emma reached out tentatively to her rescuer. "Why are you in Adam's mind?"  As Lex looked at her mutely, his expressive eyes locked on hers, that sense of familiarity became overwhelmingly strong.  Suddenly Emma was looking into Adam's eyes. _

Helen added thoughtfully, "Earlier in the hospital, when she walked out of the hospital wing into the waiting room, I thought something wasn't quite right about her, but I couldn't place it.  It was as if I had a memory lapse."   Adam nodded, already knowing what had happened back there.

"Emma, did you do this?"  Adam said with a smile in his voice despite his concern. Lex hung over Adam's shoulder, ignoring the body language that ordered him to keep his distance.  Lex's expression was filled with concern as Adam pried open Emma's eyes to examine the pupils.  

_"Adam, I don't understand what's happening." She told him.  "I know it's impossible, but it's as if you and Lex are the same person."_

_Adam looked at her warmly.  "I'm right here," he said gently looking directly into her eyes.  Adam opened his mouth to say something else, when the universe shifted again. _

_Adam was dressed in black; his expression was cold and arrogant. He resonated with impatience and resentment.  As he gazed down at her, there was no sign of recognition in his dark eyes.  Lex suddenly stepped into the vision and seemed to try to reason with Adam.  Adam fiercely pulled his arm away from the young man and snarled, "I have nothing to do with your good intentions.  You died years ago with her.  Go back to your place in oblivion."  Adam's ebony eyes sparkled with malice.  He looked down at Emma and said softly and menacingly, "I own Metropolis.  You will not stop me." _

"Syringe, vial DX-3 red," Adam said.  Dr. Bryce loaded the syringe with the appropriate medication and primed it as Adam gently pressed certain areas on Emma's face.  

 "Energy centers," he explained.  Dr. Bryce shrugged non-committally.  "We need a sanitizing agent.  Lex, do you keep iodine, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide in the house?" Adam asked.  Lex looked momentarily lost.  He looked at Frank Rose and Clark Kent.  They shrugged.  Lex stepped over to the bar and quickly returned flourishing some linen napkins and a bottle of vodka.

_"How could this be?"__ Emma asked herself, growing more alarmed.  _

_"No!__  This can't be happening!  Adam, come back!"  Emma pleaded._

_Emma felt the universe shift yet again…._

"That should work,"  Helen said, carefully applying the alcohol as a disinfectant around Emma's head.  Adam injected Emma with the medication and applied other treatments.  Shalimar, Frank Thorne and Clark stood nearby and watched silently.  Lex continued to observe his fiancé work with the renowned scientist whom she had admired since high school.  That's where he recognized the man, Lex thought.  Helen kept Dr. Kane's books around her office.  There was a picture of a younger Dr. Kane on the back cover of some of the books.  Lex observed that Adam Kane hadn't changed much except that his face was thinner and there were more lines on his face.  Too many cares, Lex thought.  He wondered if he would age gracefully like him.  Amazing how Helen's dream of meeting the famous Biogeneticist had come true.  

"_ADAM!"__ Emma screamed in panic. She was standing in darkness so complete and final that none of her senses could register any light or life.  She didn't know where she was and had no idea where she was going.  Fear traced a cold finger down into the pit of her stomach.  She shivered in terror._

Emma was shivering, her eyes had returned to normal but she was still not cognizant of them.  She closed her eyes again.  Her lips kept moving; she was trying to say something that no one could hear.  Adam injected her with another ampule of medication.

"Adam," she whimpered, eyes closed, tears streaming down her face.  Adam was already at her side.

"I'm right here, Emma," he responded, his eyes glittering as he captured some of the depths of the Telempath's pain that she was broadcasting in her lost state.  Adam gently hugged Emma to himself, wishing he could shelter her from whatever was causing such pain. Lex, Helen, Clark, Shalimar, and Frank also gathered near Emma, their faces reflecting her distress.  

"We're here, Em," Shalimar told her friend.  "You're not alone."  After a few more moments, the mood broke as Emma awakened from her trancelike state.  The red-head opened her eyes and saw Adam, Shalimar, Lex and Dr. Bryce looking down at her with concern.  Emma gazed steadily at her mentor for a few more moments without speaking, trying to assure herself that this was the Adam that rescued and trained her, the man who was more a father to her than anyone else in the world.  Her eyes then darted over to see the others- Shalimar, concerned expression on her face, was sitting less than a foot away on the other side, ready to spring to her aid.  Lex and Helen were holding hands further away, talking softly, stealing a glance toward her every now and then to check on her well being.  Frank was watching her with the detached curiosity of a boy watching a fly whose wings had been pulled off.  Clark's expression was filled with concern.  As Emma met his gaze, he started visibly and blushed.  There was a question in his eyes that he would not speak aloud in the presence of the others.  Emma closed her eyes and turned her head away.  

"It's OK, Emma," Adam said softly with a gentle smile.  Emma gaze turned inward.  She felt drained by the Visions.  Although her eyes maintained a slightly troubled expression,  Emma finally smiled as she realized that she was safe now, with Adam and Shalimar.    She hoped that what she experienced were horrible dreams, nothing more, but doubt rankled at the back of her mind.  Still, she was here with the ones she loved.  Emma blinked and yawned.  Shalimar smoothed a hand over Emma's forehead, brushing back the hair, then kissed her.  Adam kissed Emma too.  

"Good night, Em.  You've been through hell,"  Adam said.  The Telempath snuggled into the couch with a smile. 

 "You don't know the half of it," she thought, then she fell asleep.  Adam looked toward Lex.  

"You're all welcome to spend the night here, "  Lex said. "We have plenty of rooms."

Adam nodded his thanks.  "I sent my people here to warn you and your father that you are both in serious danger."  Lex raised his eyebrows.

"What's this about?"  he asked.

Adam nodded at Shalimar.  "I presume that you've already met Ms. Shalimar Hunt.  She and her colleagues, Emma Wise, Brennan Voltaire, and Jesse Wall flew in to brief you and your father that LuthorCorp and LexCorp have been scrutinized by a group of fanatical albeit powerful vigilantes who call themselves the Tribunal.

"And what is your interest in the Luthors, Dr. Kane?"  Lex asked pleasantly.

"My group of colleagues and I had been tracking the Tribunal's activities and found that they are known for kidnapping people who they deem to be dangerous to society.  In most cases, these individuals are never heard from again.  

Lex's thoughts seemed to have turned inward for a moment and he mused, "And you believe that they have already captured my father?"

Clark interrupted.  "Lex, the guy on the video tape mentioned not having captured you.  They'll be coming after you, man."

Adam's expression grew sharp.  "May I view the tape you're speaking about?"

Lex hit the switch on the video player in reply.  As they viewed the tape, Adam and Shalimar stared at Frank (Rose)Thorne at the mention of freak body guard.  Thorne was rubbing the back of his head. 

"I think we all need to get some things out in the open," Lex said quietly, looking at each person in the room.  "First of all, I get the feeling that some of us here may be gifted with more than normal abilities."  Lex shot a look at his father's bodyguard then at Shalimar.

"I noticed some metal plugs imbedded in his skull while you left the room," Clark blurted out.  "Do you think those may have been responsible for what we saw, Lex?"

Lex looked at Frank Thorne.  "Frank?"

Adam raised an eyebrow and waited to see how Frank Thorne would explain his telekinetic abilities to a non-New Mutant.

Frank Thorne shrugged defensively.  "I told you, Mr. Luthor, it has something to do with the classified information from the government job I held in the past."

Clark looked intently at Shalimar.  "Mr. Rose obviously knows both you and Emma. Sounds like you all worked together at some point."

"And you personally came here to warn me and my dad," Lex added.  "Are you from the government, and what about Ms. Hunt's enhanced physical abilities?  I'm very interested in all of these things." 

Adam shook his head.  "No, we are independent but affiliated with the government in ways that you can't imagine."

  "Try me, Dr. Kane," Lex answered cynically.

"That's why the Tribunal and subsequently we are interested in the activities of LuthorCorp and LexCorp,"  Adam added, watching for any change in Lex's expression.

"LexCorp is clean, Dr. Kane."  Lex answered, his eyes flashing with indignation.  "However, I cannot vouch for my father's business.  What are we doing that is deemed a threat to society?  I assure you that all my operations are above board.  And I still want to know about these people who seem to have special"  Lex glanced involuntarily at Clark, "abilities."

"Like my ability to jump higher and move faster than the average woman?" Shalimar interrupted, regaining Lex's attention.  Lex nodded.

Adam gazed stonily back at Lex Luthor.  "You and your father's corporations are suspected of manipulating humans so they have enhanced skills.  The Tribunal is determined to put a stop to this alleged activity—permanently."

Lex looked at Adam then at his companions in disbelief.  "That's impossible!  I provide jobs for the people of Smallville.  Our work is construction and manufacturing orientated, it's all in the Portfolio."  Lex paced back and forth, obviously troubled.  

"My people will be stationed here to protect you, Mr. Luthor as we try to locate your father,"  Adam said.

Lex looked mildly amused.  "Dr. Kane, may I point out that half of your team is incapacitated—Miss Emma here and Brennan at the hospital."

Shalimar looked at Adam worried.  Frank Thorne was stroking his chin with forefinger and thumb.  He had a delighted, speculative look on his face.  Adam's lips tightened momentarily.

"A temporary disadvantage, the result of a possible Tribunal attack on our aircraft," Adam replied.

"Oh, you mean not possible related to operator induced error or structural flaw?"  Lex asked with exaggerated innocence.  Shalimar bristled and Thorne's grin widened.  Clark very quietly whistled to draw Shalimar's attention away from Lex before her eyes turned into golden coals.

Helen stood up.  "I think we're all tired and should turn in,"  she suggested in a tone that allowed no argument.  "You boys stop your posturing and pick this up in the morning."  Lex looked up at her boyishly.  His beautiful fiancé glowered imperiously at them.  

"Never argue with a woman," Lex told Adam with a wink.  "Do you need someone to discreetly attend to your downed aircraft?  LexCorp is able to handle special projects like that."

Adam raised both eyebrows and smiled.  "Thanks," he accepted.  "Please keep me informed.  I'll want to take a look at it myself, find out what caused it to lose control."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

A/N- I apologize for my metaphysical nonsense.  I just couldn't resist the play on Mr. Shea's roles in MX and L&C in the presence of the younger Lex Luthor of SV, and of course I had to have Emma (temporarily?) evolve some new powers to make it so…. ; )


	7. Author's note not a chapter

NOT A CHAPTER  
  
Nice catch, GS and BM. I probably wouldn't have realized that the Proxy Error that I encountered during the Chapter 6 download moved Chapter 6 into Chapter one. I had reloaded it too because it was so freaky. All fixed now, I think. I don't get to see the updates right away and AOL is like, really flakey this week so I'm lucky to get a full session in.  
  
MX's last names??? Oh yes, I wanted the team to have aliases for their mission. *grins* but changing the first names too would have confused the matter.  
  
Chloe and Lana should be making a cameo appearance in one of the next 2 chapters. I'm actually closing in for the finish. Benthos suggested that I outline the entire story instead of winging it as I had been doing with only a vague idea of where I want to go and having done the outline realized that I'm probably ¾ through. I hope the ending doesn't crash for abruptness.  
  
Just keep the questions and comments coming. I've deviated from some of my ideas in past chapters and will continue to do so as my readers let me know.  
  
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your interest and comments.  
  
Love, Ruffyan  
  
PS- And I just got a Proxy Error trying to download this note..go figure! 


	8. Mistakes We All Make

Chapter 7- Mistakes we all make

A/N- hope this is better than the Emma chapter.

Lionel Luthor paced restlessly in his cell.  Suddenly he heard the sound of footsteps casually approaching him from the darkness.  The footsteps ceased as their owner stopped just outside of the ring of light cast by the small incandescent bulb of his cell.

"Mr. Luthor, I trust that you are comfortable," a well-enunciated, slightly accented voice addressed him.  Lionel strained against the metal bars and peered into the darkness toward the voice deciding that the accent was British.  He could barely make out its owner's tousle-haired silhouette against the darkness.

"Who are you?" Lionel demanded.  "Why have you taken me captive?  What do you want?"

The man chuckled.  "So many questions.  I have one for you.  Where is Lex Luthor?"  

Lionel internally blanched at the mention of his son's name then tightened his grasp on the bars as he glared toward the voice in anger.  "I have no idea, and that is none of your business," he growled, wondering why they were interested in him and Lex.

"Wrong answer," the voice replied pleasantly.  Lionel cried out as a strong electrical current ran through the bars that he had been grasping.  After about 10 seconds, the pain stopped.  Gasping, Lionel slid down to the floor, his long hair plastered to his sweaty face.  He hastily rolled away from the bars and stared at the faceless menace out there in the dark.

"You must be hungry and thirsty," the voice continued, "so please indulge in the specialties of the house."  A small square in the floor lifted, exposing a panel that held a steaming plate of food with place setting.  The aroma of a steak filled the cell.  Lionel's mouth watered but as he looked more closely, he thought he saw the grains of rice moving.  Revulsed, Lionel covered his mouth and turned away from the abomination.  He stared out toward his captor.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Lionel asked quietly.  "And what do you want with us?"

The faceless man sighed heavily in the darkness.  "No sense of adventure," he lamented.  

 "Come," he said softly to the darkness.  A little girl approached Lionel's cell.

"Emily!"  Lionel half-whispered.

"Why did you stop visiting me, Mr. Luthor?  I thought you were my friend," the little clone-girl said plaintively.  Lionel backed away from the bars.

"She is the result of genetic experimentation funded by Luthorcorp, isn't she?"  the man in the shadows asked.

"I know nothing about the experimentation," Lionel replied doggedly.

"Come now, you will need a much better explanation than that for the Tribunal in order to clear the activities of LuthorCorp's employees.  As its head, you are considered responsible for all its activities.  As your defense, I need to understand your operations fully."

"What's the Tribunal?"  Lionel asked.

"I'm glad you asked," the man in the darkness replied.  "The Tribunal is an elite body of powerful individuals who monitor world-wide activities for abnormalities.  Their mission is to ferret out the truth and punish those greedy individuals who are promoting abnormalities in the worldwide culture for their own profit.  

"Whose truth are they trying to measure the rest of the world against?  Theirs?" Lionel interrupted defiantly.  He started and ducked as a bolt of electricity jumped from one bar across his cell to another bar.

"You will not interrupt me again, Mr. Luthor."  The voice warned, then continued in a more pleasant tone.   "The Tribunal has noticed the unusually high occurrence of New Mutancies in this area.  It is the theory of the Tribunal that LuthorCorp is producing its own brand of New Mutants.  We have found that LuthorCorp possesses a large amount of Meteor Rock and has assigned projects to various parties.  One project resulted in this highly talented child here.  Another instance that flagged our attention was the arrest of three high school young men who had been processing the rock into an inhalant for greater physical abilities.  What other projects do you have out there?  The woman, Desire, who initially married your son, Lex then tried to murder him?  Hm. That sounds like a typical assignment, Lionel - something right up your alley.  And what about your son?  Isn't he also a mutated product of the meteor rock that you so carefully collect and store?"

"You've got it all wrong!"  Lionel protested.  "Lex was mutated because of exposure to the meteor radiation as a child.  He simply lost his hair.  I don't experiment on children."

The man in the darkness paused.  "Uh huh.  So you do experiments.  And what of Emily?  So you're saying that your son doesn't read minds or has acquired genius mental capacity?  Then why is he CEO of LexCorp at such a young age?"

Lionel sighed.  His 'defense' was good.  "Wealth has its privileges," he answered in a resigned tone, hoping to placate his adversary.

"Do you know any of the following individuals:  Adam Kane, Emma DeLauro, Jesse Kilmartin, Shalimar Fox, or Brennan Mulray?"  the voice asked suddenly, sharply.

Lionel thought for a moment.  "Fox.  Name sounds familiar; I may have some business connections with a fellow named Nicholas Fox, but I don't know any Shalimar Fox.  Should I know these people?"

"These people are considered felons, outlaws.  They are being hunted down for immediate sentencing.  Association with any of them will involve you in their sentence as well.  You would do well to report any knowledge of them up front.  Perhaps the Tribunal will be lenient with you if you could help… bring them to justice."

"I don't know of them but I have resources.  I could be of assistance," Lionel replied, interested in a chance to redeem himself.

"The Tribunal has unlimited resources, Mr. Luthor.  Surrender your contact lists to the Tribunal.  That is probably the only thing of value you might have," the stranger said.

"Come Emily," the man in the darkness said without answering Lionel's question.  The child stared at Lionel a moment longer and vanished.  "Nicely done,"  Lionel could hear the man tell the child as their footsteps receded into the outer darkness leaving Lionel alone again.

Lionel's eyes hardened.  He didn't like the attitude of the stranger.  He would bide his time though and eventually have his way.  If he could just bargain his way out of this cell.

"If I let you know where my son is, would you let me go?"  Lionel shouted after the retreating stranger.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The next morning, Chloe and Lana walked down the corridors of Smallville hospital.

"You sure this is ok?"  Lana asked Chloe shyly, wearing a slightly oversized lab coat.  Chloe, likewise wearing a lab coat nodded and winked.  

"We're only looking for the tractor accident patient they admitted yesterday.  If he's able to talk, maybe we can get a good story for the newspaper."  Chloe was sparkling with excitement.  

risk but maybe not," Chloe said, nodding toward an open door.  They could see an IV hookup and an occupied bed.   "Follow me," she hissed at Lana.

"Excuse me," Chloe said, brandishing her clipboard.  "Is there anything we can get for you to make your stay more comfortable?"  she asked with a charming smile that froze on her face when an elderly woman peered out of the covers and smiled at the young ladies.  

"Oh yes, thank you so much for stopping by.  Could you refresh the water for me please? And pull that quilt up on me a little more.  You're not here to draw my blood again are you?"

"Oh no," Lana stammered nervously.  "We're aides, hospital aides," she lied nervously.

"Can you stay awhile and visit?" the woman asked.  

"Of course," Chloe replied sitting down next to her.  "What's your full name, Mrs…."

"Eleanor Tabias," the woman replied.  "I had a little girl who looked like you once.  But that was a long time ago, before the war.  I lived through the Great Depression, you know….."  Lana looked down to hide her amused impatience as Chloe looked bemusedly at the woman and began to take notes.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Adam, Shalimar, Clark and Lex sat at the breakfast table at the Luthor mansion.  Emma was still sleeping.  "Where's Frank?" Shalimar asked.

"Oh, he said something about stopping by to visit Brennan, give him the shock of his life" Lex replied.

Shalimar bristled.  "When?" she demanded.  

"Oh he left with Helen about a fifteen minutes ago.  Is there something wrong?"  Lex answered.

Adam activated his comm.-link.  "Jesse, you may want to know that an old friend of ours is headed in to visit Brennan.  Could be a thorny situation."

"I understand, Adam."  Jesse's voice replied.

"Hey Adam,"  Brennan's voice came through Adam's comm.-link.  "Thanks.  I owe you."

"Just keep as quiet as possible and let your body regenerate," the scientist told him.  "Out."

Lex watched the conversation with fascination.  "Cool rings," he commented matter-of-factly.  "Government issue?"

"You might say that," Adam replied.  "Shalimar, you'll have to stay here in case our friends at the Tribunal decide to visit Mr. Luthor.  I'll go check on Emma."   

The beautiful blond pouted momentarily.  She looked at Clark.  "You hanging around here or do your folks need you at the farm?"  she asked.  Clark smiled impishly at the blond feral and gave her a meaningful look.  Shalimar considered the look for a moment and nodded.  Clark had already gone to the farm, did his chores and returned at super speed, just like he had brought Brennan to the hospital yesterday.

"I'm all set," Clark replied.  "You want me around, Lex?"  he asked his friend.

Lex raised an eyebrow and nodded at his tall, dark-haired friend.  "I just hope I'm not going to be followed by the group of you all day, I've got work to do," he replied as he picked up the phone.  "Got a broken package for you to pick up near the Kent residence," he said to the person on the other end.  "It's very fragile.  See what broke it and put it away for Mr. Mac."  Lex glanced up at Adam who had just returned.  "She's all set.  My people will move the craft to a safe place and check it out.  I'll bring you there later."

Adam nodded his thanks and looked at Shalimar questioningly.  She nodded silently and the two walked out of the room to speak privately. 

"That's Clark Kent," Shalimar said, anticipating Adam's question.  Knowing that the place was bugged. she whispered, "He's a new Mutant with enhanced vision, strength and speed.  He saved Brennan's life and got me out of the wreckage."  Adam suddenly had that determined, fascinated look that usually meant that he found a research subject.  "Adam, do you think Brennan will be safe?"  Shalimar placed a hand on Adam's arm.  "Frank should be there any moment now."

"Frank seemed to be uncharacteristically considerate of you and Emma," Adam replied.

"Just before you and Dr. Bryce arrived, Frank mentioned something about us being the lesser of 2 evils, that Eckhart was back,"  Shalimar added.  Adam nodded thoughtfully.  The man had fled Genomex a couple years ago.  Seeing them must have given him cause to rethink his offer to join the underground, Adam thought.  Still, he was concerned about the bad feeling between Frank and Brennan.  

"Strange people,"  Lex commented to Clark.  "Do you think they're really associated with the government?"

Clark smiled and shrugged.  "They could be."

Lex grimaced.  "They came here to warn Dad and me about… the Tribunal?  Don't you think a personal visit to a couple strangers is a little much?  They could have just called."

Clark gave Lex a sidewise glance.  "Despite their misfortunes, they seem to be highly trained people.  I would take Adam's claims about the Tribunal seriously.  Perhaps they can help us find your father and to keep you from being abducted."  

Lex snorted in derision.  "Yeah."  He said skeptically.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Back at Strongville Hospital,  Chloe and Lana left the room.  Mrs. Tabias smiled and called goodbye after them.  "I really enjoyed your company.  Please do come by again."

"I just might do that,"  Chloe replied.  "She has a fascinating story," she said to Lana, who looked at her friend and shrugged.  The two trudged up the hall a ways.  Hearing a male voice, they stopped and listened.  "That way,"  Chloe pointed.  Their shoes clacked loudly on the fresh waxed tiled floor.  Lana knocked tentatively on a door.

"Come in," a male voice answered.  Hearts beating fast with anticipation, Lana pushed the door open followed by Chloe.  Brennan was sitting up on the bed, bandage covering the wound on his bare chest.  Jesse sat at the side of the bed, pushing a chess piece across the table between them.

"Hi,"  Jesse said politely.  Brennan looked up from the game.  "Hi,"  he said in a friendly manner.  

"We don't want to take much of your time, but are you the accident victim?"  Chloe asked eagerly, blushing at the sight of the two good looking guys.

"Hm."  Jesse glanced down at their fancy dress shoes and he grinned at Brennan.  "If they have to ask, they don't work here."  

"Um, you don't seem to be dressed for the job," Brennan replied, rearranging himself on the bed.  "OK, so who are you really?" Brennan asked Chloe.  "You look a little too young to be nurses or lab techs."

"We're hospital aides.  And we're not young,"  Chloe said somewhat indignantly, wishing that she didn't blush so easily.

"Yeah?"  Jesse said skeptically.  Lana smiled timidly at the blue-eyed man, thinking he was really cute.  "We met most of the staff during our stay here."  The blond man continued.  "So what do you do besides running around the hospital in dress shoes and oversized lab coats?"  .

Lana looked over to Chloe for help.  Chloe nodded then blushed as Brennan carefully flexed his arms, testing to see if the bandaging would hold.  Angry at herself for her reaction to the dark-haired man, she looked down at the clipboard and composed herself.  "I'm a reporter.  I manage the newspaper for Smallville High," she said.

"And I manage the Talon, it's a coffee shop in town," Lana added.  

Jesse and Brennan exchanged amused glances.  "Boy, I could use a good cup of coffee about now,"  Jesse said, stifling a yawn.  

Brennan grinned at the girls.  "Next time you want to pose as hospital aides," he pointed at their feet, "you might want to wear different shoes and maybe pretend to wear some kind of ID."  Chloe and Lana looked at their dress shoes.  

"OK,"  Chloe replied.  "Now may I ask you some questions?  I understand that you were in an accident earlier yesterday.  Can you give us some details?"

Brennan stared thoughtfully at Chloe for a moment.  "Uh, no."  he replied.

Jesse studied the blond and asked, "why would you want to know about a patient's accident?  Do you work for an insurance company on the side?"

"Oh."  Chloe's face lit up with understanding.  "I'm sorry.  Just wanted an interesting story.  Thought the tractor accident would be a good front page."

Brennan and Jesse exchanged looks.  "I think you have the wrong room.  The tractor guy is down the hall a few doors," Jesse informed her.

"Oh."  Chloe looked crestfallen.  "I'm sorry for bothering you.  But what happened to you?  You don't look like you're from around here."  She stopped as she noticed that the dark eyed man was looking past her to the door with a guarded look.

"I think you ladies should be leaving now,"  Jesse said softly.

Frank Thorne stood in the doorway with an interested, indulgent look on his face.  "Business trip gone bad?" he asked.  

Brennan glared at the grinning man as Jesse positioned himself between the TeleKinetic and the Elemental.  

"Adam said you were coming," Jesse said quietly.

Lana and Chloe stood uncertainly at the side of the room where the curtains were drawn.  Suddenly Dr. Bryce was shoved into the room, knocking Frank Thorne off balance toward Brennan's bed.  Frank whirled around to see who had pushed the doctor into him.  Jesse and Brennan tensed for action.  Lana gave a little shriek as a soldier dressed in black, armed with a gun slid in through the window next to her.  Three more soldiers followed Dr. Helen Bryce into Brennan's room.

"What's going on here?"  Brennan shouted.  "Who are you?"

One of the men in black held a taser out at Brennan.  "No talking.  You will all be coming with us or these young ladies get hurt.  Lana and Chloe huddled against each other with terror written on their faces.  Helen Bryce stepped close to them to calm them.  Jesse and Thorne stood by frustrated, not willing to show their powers in the midst of this group, not willing for anyone to get injured.

"Luthor's fiancé, Mulray, Kilmartin and Thorne.  Won't the boss be pleased."  The spokesman said with a sneer.  

The black uniformed men dispersed around them.  Brennan lay gasping on the bed, a quick movement had apparently opened the wound again, rendering him helpless.  Jesse and Frank whirled, facing a soldier who waved a taser at them and tried to attack them.  Too late they heard Dr Bryce shout out a warning, then they heard a loud snap.  The world turned into darkness as metal controlling rods were inserted into their skulls, delivered by gun.

"What about them?"  a man asked, waving a gun toward Chloe and Lana.

"Bring them along.  We wouldn't want to leave anyone out." The leader replied.  A soldier pulled the curtain to the side, revealing the open window, leading into the back of a transport.  

"Ladies first."  He said.


	9. Bits and Pieces

Chapter 9- Bits and Pieces

A/N- I got into a small quandary which you'll see at the end of this chapter.  Which way it ends will have a small impact in the rest of the story.  Instead of flipping a coin I thought I'd bounce it at my readers to see how you prefer this chapter to end.   Now for the bullet…

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

MEANWHILE…

Adam and Lex walked a short distance from Lex's car into the LexCorp plant.  The DoubleHelix had been quickly and quietly retrieved by Lex's people and brought to a special section there.  Lex checked his watch.  It was nearly noon.  Shalimar, Emma and Clark joined them silently as they walked across the parking lot.  A wiry man with close cropped gray-hair, standing at about Adam's height met them at the door with a cheery greeting and led them into the laboratory.  

Lex motioned toward his employee.  "This is Mr. Queu, our lead-researcher in innovations to the everyday conveniences of modern living."

Adam was struck by a sense of familiarity from this man and nodding courteously at the older man asked, "Do I know you from somewhere, sir?" 

The grey-haired man stepped closely to Adam, studied him with amused dark eyes, and grinned widely.  "YOU certainly look familiar, Dr. Kane," he replied with a pleasant tenor voice containing a distinct British accent.  He turned to Lex.

"What do you have for us, Mr. Queu?"  Lex asked.  Turning to Adam, Lex added, "We acquired Mr. Queu a couple months ago.  He's a brilliant scientist with a knack for forensics."  Queu smiled modestly at the compliment.

Adam could see the Double Helix in a holding area in the rear of the industrial Laboratory.  The left wing which had sheared off from the main body of the craft had been retrieved and was lying to the side on the floor.  Aside from the gaping hole in its side, the craft seemed in remarkably good shape considering its fall from the sky.

The man bustled about happily.  Motioning to a microscope on the nearby benchtop, he said, "If you will look in the scope, you'll see the cause of your craft's misfortune."

Adam saw what initially seemed to be a bullet in a shallow glass dish on the stage of the microscope.  Closer examination through the scope showed unusual slotted channels in the sides of the small projectile, most of which had been crushed or distorted, but there were still a couple that had recognizable markings.  Adam adjusted the instrument for a closer look at the channels.  Mr. Queu placed a set of fine forceps into Adam's waiting hand and allowed him to move the bullet around.

"I thought you would be interested in the channels.  I believe there are still some of the contents left, although, you will probably see it better in this."  He handed Adam a small flat glass dish that had a tiny sliver of metal lying in the bottom.  Adam replaced the bullet specimen with the metal sample.  Mr. Queu set the small dish with the bullet and the forceps on a glass plate, set it aside and walked toward the Double Helix.

Mr. Queu explained, "the bullet was shot toward the front of the aircraft."  He pointed at the the gaping hole where the left wing had been.  "It impacted here."  Queu indicated a tiny mark that was about one third the distance from the front of the wing.  "The force of the impact opened the 'bullet's' channels and its contents fanned out in the direction of the wind resistance, along the length of the wing."  The man traced a line with his pointer along the length of the bottom of the wing where it was attached to the cabin.  "The channels contained nanoprobes, which are microscopic robots.  These have a limited life span once outside of their protective casing and were designed to eat away at metallic surfaces.  Glass, plastic, and flesh seem unaffected by them.  The nanoprobes ate away at the VTOL's wing and created a seam which quickly became unstable.  The wind pressure against the wing of your craft traveling in the air at high speed did the rest.  The wing sheared off.  If it had impacted closer to the tip of the craft…"  his voice trailed off and he gave Adam a meaningful look.

"The cabin's structural integrity would have been compromised instead and it could have exploded."  Adam finished.

"Your people are very fortunate to be alive.  Whoever shot this missile was well trained and well situated.  They apparently knew exactly where and at what angle to shoot."

Adam nodded his thanks.  Their adversaries had to have been extremely well prepared to have zeroed in on the cloaked Double Helix.  He peered intently at the metal piece under the scope.   Mr. Queu took a glass dropper and placed a drop of liquid so that it touched the metal piece.  

"Dr. Kane, you should realize that the metal is a small piece that was taken from the hull of your aircraft.  I placed a drop of water containing three of the nanoprobes near the metal.  If you will turn the magnification up to 1000, you will see that these little fellows are still active."

Adam's eyes widened in amazement.  He looked up at Mr. Queu.

"Hey, let me get a look at that,"  Lex told Adam, who wordlessly surrendered to scope to their benefactor.  Lex looked into the eyepiece and saw the chunk of metal had developed etchings and ridges that seemed to grow deeper every few seconds.  Suddenly, the piece of metal cleaved into three pieces.

"Did you see the nanoprobe?"  he asked his employee.

"You will need a much higher power magnification to see more detail.  Under this scope, the nanoprobes look like small dots."  Mr. Queu answered.  A small metallic clang from the first plate caught everyone's attention as the needle-like ends of the forceps fell off from the body of the forceps and fell into the plate.

"I lose more tools to these critters,"  the older man said casually.

"Can we neutralize these things?"  Adam asked.

"Our analysis show that the bullet containing the nanoprobes was not totally metal, but an advanced form of plastic-gold alloy.  Extreme heat destroys them and extreme cold seem to inactivate them.  Glass and plastic also shield against them.  They are apparently programmed to destabilize, or eat a certain amount of metallic substance."

Clark considered the information thoughtfully.  "But how would you know that?" he asked.

Mr. Queue shrugged nonchalantly.  "I zeroed in on the broken wing once we had the VTOL in here.  The etchings and condition of the metal at the opening were a dead giveaway to the experienced eye of the presence of nanoprobes.  I quickly found the bullet imbedded in the side of the craft and spent the last few hours studying the little fellows under different conditions.  The fact that the VTOL is still here is proof that the nanoprobe consumption is limited.  I've measured the amount of metal a precise amount of nanoprobes can consume.  It appears that each one can destabilize 10.5 grams of metal."

"That's an admirable study you performed on such short notice," Adam complimented.  Mr. Queu nodded, accepting the compliment.

"The pleasure is all mine, Dr. Kane,"  he replied.  A tiny beep sounded and the man opened his scheduler.  "Excuse me sir," he said deferentially to Lex.  "It seems I have a shipment to supervise.  Would you and your guests care to join me?"

Lex shook his head.  "It's in good hands.  My guests need to check out their aircraft.  I'll lock up after we're finished here.  Thank you for your help."  Mr. Queu nodded his acknowledgement.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesse woke up in a darkened rumbling compartment with a pounding headache.  Pain seared through the back of his skull.  He could hear the girls talking in low voices.

"It's slowing down and we have nothing to lose,"  Chloe was saying.  

"Hey, that may be true for you…."  Lana retorted.

"What's going on?" Jesse rasped.

"Oh thank god he's alive,"  Lana said.

"Where's the others?"  Jesse asked.

Dr. Bryce spoke up in the darkness.  "It appears that we're a little tied up.  We can walk but the motion of this vehicle and the pitch darkness makes it a little difficult.  Our hands are bound behind us.  They took all of us.  I haven't heard a sound from you men until now.  We were afraid you might have been dead or seriously injured since it appeared that they shot you at close range in the back of the skull.  Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Jesse sighed heavily.  It wasn't fair for these innocent bystanders to become involved in this mess.  He wondered how much he should let them know.  It could mean the difference between life and death.  He felt for his com-ring.  It had been removed.  Jesse focused past the blinding pain.  His hands were tied together behind his back, but his feet were free.  He felt a body lying next to him.

"Hey,"  Jesse nudged the body gently with his leg.  The man groaned.  "Brennan?  Frank?  Wake up,"  Jesse said.

"We're stopping," Lana said.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Back at the LexCorp laboratory, Emma motioned Adam away from Lex while Clark asked him a question.  Her face was pale, her eyes glassy.

"Em, are you ok?"  Adam asked, concerned.

"I think I just got a hit off Jesse.  He's in great pain and is somewhere dark.  I can't get a location.  Everything is black."  The Telempath told him, holding her head.

"Anything on Brennan?"  Shalimar asked, her brown eyes registering concern.

Emma's eyes had a faraway look as she focused in on the sickening pain.  "I'm not picking up Brennan.  I fear that something terrible is happening."

Suddenly Lex's cell phone rang.  "Hello?"  he said.

"Listen real good," a brusque voice on the other end told him.  "You and your Mutant friends have friends that are going to die if any of you try to leave."

 "Pardon me?"  Lex replied, surprised.

"You heard me."  The phone clicked and the connection was broken.  Lex Luthor blinked thoughtfully still staring at his phone, trying to understand the strange message.

"You look as if you just got a strange call, Lex."  Clark said, having heard every word with his super hearing.

"Yeah.  You could say that,"  Lex replied looking thoughtfully at Adam, Shalimar and Emma.  Shalimar looked up at him, sensing his sudden fear and suspicion.

Approaching the Mutant X team, Lex demanded, "Tell me what's going on. What do you know about Mutants?"

Adam looked sharply at Lex, his mysterious dark eyes searching the lighter hazel ones that seemed to have a tremendous capacity for knowing.  

"I just got a strange call," Lex continuted, studying the faces of his guests.  "The voice on the other end said, 'you and your Mutant friends have friends that will die if we try to leave.'   If this is not a prank call, then someone is in serious danger."  

"Brennan and Jesse are in the hospital,"  Emma said thoughtfully.

"Helen and Frank would undoubtedly be there by now," Lex added, looking concerned.  Looking at Clark, he asked, "Were any of your friends headed toward the hospital today?"

Clark thought for a moment.  "Chloe said she had a potential lead story.  She and Lana would be checking it out…"  his voice trailed.  His eyes had a worried look.

Shalimar immediately began to pace around the laboratory, trying the doors.  Everything was locked.  Emma started casting her mind outward, looking for signs of the presence of others.

"Do you think the…Tribunal has something to do with this?"  Clark asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Adam replied gravely.

"I want you to tell me about yourself and your friends."  Lex said forcefully, his expression indicating that refusal was not an option.  Adam sat a table.  Lex did the same.  

"Mutants as you know, are people with various deviations from the expected course of nature,"  Adam began.  Lex nodded and his hand went unconsciously to his bald head.

Adam continued.  "I worked years ago for a biogenetics firm.  We had developed a protocol to save lives of countless numbers of children who had fatal diseases.  It involved splicing the child's DNA with that of a corresponding life form that had properties that could counteract the disease.  We were successful,"  Adam said, a faraway look in his eyes.

"But,"  Lex prompted the older man. 

Adam sighed and shook his head.   "An unpredicted and unknown side effect to the therapy occurred years later.  Our patients started showing strange abilities.  In brief, they showed any one of the following properties:  super physical powers, Psionic abilites of various kinds, ability to channel elemental properties through their bodies, and ability to alter molecular structure in various ways.  These young men and women were gifted with extraordinary powers, but society in its wisdom chose to persecute them.  I've created an organization to help these people understand what is happening to their bodies and to create a way to help them blend back into society."

Lex glanced at Shalimar.  "Is she a Mutant?  Or is she the highly trained government agent that she claimed to be earlier?  What about Emma?  And what are you, Adam?"

"I'm a scientist."  Adam said quietly.  "My people are not weapons, although they are trained to defend themselves and those who are weak and defenseless.  They have special gifts although not of their choosing and have chosen to use them as needed for the benefit of the human race.  I hope that eventually there will be acceptance of their gifts."  Adam looked at Lex, then at Clark.

"I'm ok with the concept,"  Lex answered, looking at Clark questioningly.

Clark looked down and sighed.  "Yeah," he answered, feigning reluctance.   "I can accept these people."

Emma gasped softly.  "They're being moved.  Jesse is in great pain.  Frank is there too, also in pain.  They feel very near."  The red-head closed her eyes.  Tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks.  As Adam placed a protective arm around her shoulders, Lex stepped closer to Emma and looked intently into her face.  

"Psionic."  Lex said softly, understanding.

Suddenly Emma's eyes opened, they had changed from her normal gray to jet black.  Lex's mouth dropped open in surprise at Emma's sudden change in eye color.  She appeared to be staring through him.  "No Lex, it's poisoned!"  she said urgently.  Looking around wildly, her gaze rested on Clark for a moment, then to Lex, then back to Clark.  Her face contorted with sorrow and she looked away.  

"Emma, what's wrong?"  Clark asked.

Emma took a deep breath and stared at Shalimar.  "Naxcon."  She shook her head and sobbed.  

Adam took her gently by the shoulders.  "Emma, snap out of it."

Emma froze at Adam's touch and stared through him.  "The Tribunal awaits us ADam."  She said in a low voice, her inflections a perfect imitation of Mason Eckhart's voice.  Adam exchanged concerned glances with Shalimar.

"EMMA!"  Adam urgently whispered.  "Focus on the present.  Be here with me, now."

Emma stirred, the struggle showing on her face.

"Breathe, Emma" Shalimar said gently.  "Remember how we practiced in the Dojo?"

"Stay with us, Emma" Adam told her, stroking her hair.

"You're not related to them but you really care about them, don't you?"  Lex said softly to Adam.

"They are my family, my children," Adam replied.  Lex tightened his lips, wishing he had a father like Adam.

Emma quickly regained her composure.  Shalimar and Adam hugged her and welcomed her back.  

"You weren't out for as long this time,"  Adam told her.

"Thank goodness,"  Emma breathed fervently.  "I wish I knew what was happening.  I look into someone and there are so many images….I feel like I'm jumping dimensions or universes.  I need to decompress."

"That's going to have to wait, I'm afraid."  Adam replied.  "Something triggered these episodes- maybe Jesse's pain, perhaps you're evolving, but it looks like you have a better handle on it than you had the last time.  We're depending on you to be here now."  Adam hugged the red-headed telempath and kissed the top of her head.  Adam then strode to the Double Helix, motioning the others to follow him.  The door had been left opened by the research team.  He went directly to the driver's seat and pushed at a hidden console button.  Despite the crumpled console, the compartment door clicked open.  Adam pulled out 2 revolvers with refills and tossed one to Lex.  Clark shook his head.  Emma and Shalimar smiled sweetly.  Holding the revolver close to his body,  Adam squeezed back out of the DoubleHelix.  Looking around at the layout of the lab, he selected a strategic area near the holding area that had visual access to the rest of the lab yet shielded the small group from potential stray bullets.

"As soon as they begin entering, we'll have to knock them off then use their access to see if we can trace the rest of our party," Adam said quietly.  "We use these only if we have to."  Adam said, looking at his gun.

ALTERNATE ENDING #1

In a building not far from the plant, a tall, wiry grey-haired man smiled then carefully peeled the mask from his head, exposing leaner features and short dark wavy hair.  The man exchanged his lab coat for a white leather trench coat while watching the activities of Adam, Lex and friends from his monitor.  He paused for a moment allowing the emotion to pass out of him and then gravely placed the white-haired wig on his head and carefully smoothed the plastic skin membrane over his face.  Next he donned black leather gloves and put on a pair of dark-framed glasses.  He sighed.  Dropping his voice to a lower pitch, he dialed his cell phone.  "Initiate phase three,"  he said.

ALTERNATE ENDING #2

Wild maniacal eyes observed Adam, Lex, Clark, Shalimar and Emma from a monitor.  The eyes stared fixedly at Emma while she had her episode, unable to discern what was happening to her, then narrowed malevolently as Adam and Lex took on the guns.  The eyes had an insane, unblinking quality about them as they studied their prey in the lab. The Justice donned a dark robe as he observed the small group in the monitor.  It was time.  Pulling out his cell phone, the man said in a curt British accent, "Initiate phase three."


	10. Temporary Insanity

Chapter 10- Temporary insanity

A/N- Sorry to have been away from this for so long.  I miss Adam, Emma and Eckhart. *sniff*   Hope you are still out there.  As mentioned ages ago, please review if you want more- the good, the bad, the suggestions…

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It was dark in the transport, darker than any night he could remember.  The vehicle had now come to a full stop with a loud hiss.   Jesse gritted his teeth against the pain in his head, unable to block his ears or to press against his head because his hands had been tied down behind his back.  He wondered who was lying there on the floor of the vehicle next to him?  

I wish I knew what was going on, Dr Bryce," he replied to her question.

There was a noisy rumble as their transport compartment expanded, wheels rolling on a concrete floor.  The air shifted, as if a door had suddenly opened, but it was still pitch black.  At least they were getting some ventilation now.  Jesse listened carefully, trying to sort out the noises they were hearing from the outside of their compartment.  He thought of how easily Shalimar would have been able to sort through this visual blackness.  Someone pushed him roughly.

"Hey!"  Jesse protested.

"Move." An unfamiliar voice told him.  A sharp electrical shock applied to his stomach made the Molecular double over and gasp in pain.  He could hear Lana, Chloe and Dr. Bryce making similar exclamations as the soldiers re-entered the transport and herded them out.  There was another groan from nearby, but Jesse was unable to tell who it was.  He worried about Brennan, who seemed to have aggravated his chest injury during the attack.  

They stumbled forward in the blackness guided by rough prods into the direction they were supposed to go.  Any resistance or attempt to speak was met with an electrical shock.  The little group quickly learned to trudge along obediently in the direction they were pushed in. In what seemed to be a few minutes, they hopelessly lost track of which way they were going because of the many twists and turns.  Chloe noted that the floor seemed to be made of concrete and there was a slight musty smell combined with the smell of plastic and fresh air.  Jesse was looking up, trying to find the slightest hint of light when he slammed into the wall.  He grunted with annoyance as he picked himself off the floor and stood there cursing silently, trying to catch his breath.  Dr. Bryce stumbled into him, followed by Lana, then Chloe.  They heard a door slide close behind them and felt the compartment they were in move up slowly, very slowly.  Dr. Bryce counted almost 100 seconds before the slight almost imperceptible movement stopped.  They stood there in total blackness and silence except for their breathing.  The air had a faint coppery-crushed rock smell.

"Smells like the quarry," Chloe said, sniffing delicately, suddenly feeling unusually irritable and wanting badly to take it out on someone.  Even in her captivity, the anger made Chloe feel oddly free and powerful.    Her usually chirpy, brash demeanor gave way to biting sarcasm.

No one spoke for a minute.  

"WELL?  Have you all been struck speechless or just dumb and witless?"  Chloe demanded, struggling to free her hands in the pitch blackness.

Then Lana replied, "We're all your friends, Chloe.  No need to be so hard on us you know."  Then she asked, "What do you think they're going to do with us?"  

Chloe snorted in the darkness.  "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to," she answered cynically, poking at the sore spots on her arm.

"Hey, doc.  What's your prognosis on this situation,"  Chloe yelled irritably.

"Cut it out," Jesse grumbled.  "My head is splitting."

"Seriously, if I had a gun, I'd be using it, honey."  Chloe replied.  "Hey, doc- aren't you going to share your words of wisdom with us?"  

Dr. Bryce crouched in the corner in silence.  She felt contrary and irritable.  She felt her legendary temper flare up minutes within minutes of being herded into the elevator and wanted to take it out on somebody.  Summoning together all of the self control techniques she could think of, Helen took a deep breath and held it.   She managed to answer the blond calmly in the darkness, "I don't know about you, but I've felt like I have the biggest case of PMS ever since we've been in this elevator.  Is that the way you all feel?"

"Not me," Jesse replied, "but I think it's safe to say that after being zapped in the arms four times and living in total blackness for who knows how long and being herded around to god knows where in the dark and being confined in this elevator-we have a right to be a little edgy,"  Jesse replied testily.

"So the high and mighty doctor is comparing herself with us peons?"  Chloe replied sarcastically.

"Chloe," Lana protested, irritation now evident in her voice, "Don't be such a bitch.  All I know is that ever since we were shoved into this elevator that won't open, I've been wanting to kick some ass."

"Whoa!" Chloe replied.  "Watch your language, princess."

"Princess?"  Lana asked menacingly.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I offended you, your majesty," Chloe retorted.

"If it wasn't so damned dark in here, I'd throttle you."  Lana stated.

"With what? Your hands?"  Chloe laughed belligerently, still struggling to free her own hands tied securely behind her back.  

Jesse lost his patience.  "Will you just be still!"  he exclaimed.  "We need to figure out a way out of this place and what to do when we do."

"When?  How about IF?"  Helen replied, her voice edgy.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The white-haired man observed the small group in the wide-screen infrared viewer.  Turning to his audience, he commented, "Irritability, anger, release of inner hostilities seem to be the preliminary symptoms of inhalation of the Meteor rock product of LuthorCorp.  We will keep this group of subjects in the compartment a little longer to observe the maximum effects of the inhalant.  They have inhaled an amount comparable to 0.05 mg/ml since they entered the elevator 4 minutes ago.  Data collected on previous subjects, all non-mutant males indicated acquisition of various Mutant abilities like enhanced physical strength, incredible speed and ability to create fire at will.  This has not been tested on women nor on Dr. Kane's New Mutants so this group should provide additional information on the subject."  Mr. Eckhart looked sharply across at his opponent.  

Mr. Warren stared stonily back at him.  "The defense has nothing to say at this time." He replied.  Lionel Luthor, sitting beside the grey-haired man stared at him in disbelief.

"There is a great deal the defense can say, Mr. Warren," he said pointedly.

"Silence," the Chief Justice replied, frowning at Lionel.

"I wish to consult my defense in private,"  Lionel demanded, his face dark with anger.  The three Justices whispered to each other briefly then the Chief Justice nodded coolly to Mr. Warren.   Outside the viewing room in a small office, Lionel spat at Mr. Warren,

"What kind of defense attorney are you?  You communicate absolutely nothing to me about your defense strategy; you have requested no information since your first visit to my cell.  You have offered absolutely no defense to those judging me.  If it were my choice, I would have fired you long ago for such incompetancy."

"You judge me too harshly, Mr. Luthor." Mr. Warren replied, running a hand through his grey crew-cut hair.  "I didn't ask for this job.  I am assuring the satisfaction…"

"…of the Tribunal."  Lionel interrupted.  "It is obvious from your previous actions that you are hostile and determined to have me convicted of the ridiculous idea that I'm producing Mutants from Meteor Rock."

The middle aged man suddenly stiffened and stared closely at Lionel.  "How did you know all of this?  Who spoke to you?" he whispered.

Lionel glared at his defense attorney.  "You did during your last visit to my cell.  While you never stepped out of the dark to show your face, you introduced yourself as my defense.  You explained everything to me, as well tried to intimidate, electrocute and poison me."  He returned the stare.  "It seems to me that you're more of a prosecutor in disguise than my defense, given that you haven't given me much more than your name today, Mr. Warren."

Mr. Warren stared at Lionel another moment.  "Today is the very first time that we met, Mr. Luthor.  I don't know who spoke to you in your cell earlier," he looked toward the door, "but I believe that your assessment may be close to correct."

"The prosecutor?"  Lionel half whispered.   The defense attorney nodded silently. 

"What else did he tell you?  Did he want anything?  This should give us an idea of what his strategy is,"  the grey-haired man replied, looking excited for the first time today.

"He seemed very interested in my son."  Lionel replied thoughtfully, "and asked me if I knew some individuals."  Lionel observed the other's expression as he recounted the names.

"Mutant X,"  the man's eyes were wild with suppressed rage.  "They strapped me into a device and tore memories out of my brain.  Nearly cost me my job.  They are a dangerous, rogue organization that must be destroyed."

Lionel considered the information.  "Then it seems that you and Mr. Prosecutor have some things in common.  I hope that it doesn't affect your ability to prove me innocent of these charges.  I am not affiliated with Mutant X…"

"While, I'm sorry to say, it seems that your son is deeply involved."  Mr. Warren replied.  "There was a bit of evidence that I wanted to hold for later."

Lionel stroke his beard thoughtfully.  "Well since we are on the subject, perhaps you should tell me everything you know.  If we work together, you will succeed in defending my case and I will make it very much worth your efforts."

Warren looked skeptically at Lionel Luthor.  "The Tribunal is determined to put a stop to the manufacturer of the Meteor Rock products….a permanent stop."  He added meaningfully.  

"I could tell you where there is a stash of Meteor Rock hidden away on LexCorp property."  Lionel said confidentially.  Mr. Warren brightened and smiled evilly.  

"That's what I was hoping to hear."  He replied.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

In the blinding darkness, Jesse stretched and flexed his arms.  The ropes binding his arms burst apart.  Surprised, the blond man felt around for the fragment and checked it.  It was good quality rope, it shouldn't have fallen apart like that.  Groping the wall he checked for sharp protrusions that may have sliced the rope but couldn't find any.  Experimentally, Jesse grasped a piece of the rope and pulled it apart.  To his surprise, it broke easily in his hand as if it was a light string.

"Hey, I got free." He said.  "Let me get over and untie you ladies."  

"I don't need your help," Dr. Bryce said caustically fighting the rope that still held her hands firmly.  Jesse found her hands and easily broke the strands apart.

"You're all set…"  Jesse said, trying to ignore a powerful heightened awareness of the woman.

'No,Doc.  You don't need any help from us less-than-millionaires, after all you're gonna marry into the money soon,"  Chloe taunted the older woman from somewhere in the darkness. "Tell me, how soon after the marriage do you plan to knock him off?"

"Spoken like a true junk reporter, Chloe.  How speculative and cruel.  I hope you get the opportunity to have a pack of news-vermin spread lies about you.  You deserve a slap on the face for that remark,"  Helen Bryce now freed replied, face reddening in the blackness.  She brushed past Jesse  to follow the sound of Chloe's voice, intent on teaching the saucy teen a lesson in respect.

"Oh leave her alone, Dr. Bryce.  She's just a wise-ass."  Lana said, moving carefully toward where she last heard the blond man's voice.  "Where are you Jesse?   I need you to do me next."

Dr. Bryce was carefully feeling her way around the large freight elevator, biting back her rage.  "I don't need your verbal harassment, Chloe.  It's not my fault that you were born into a needy family and you're certainly capable of moving up on your own.  I don't know why you've chosen me as the object of your aggression, but I suggest you stop it."

"Like you plan to stop me?"  Chloe's voice taunted her from somewhere nearby.  From the way her voice projected from different directions around her, the blond was moving bare-footed as she talked.

"Like I can make sure you're very sorry," the dark-haired woman replied quietly, her eyes like fire in the maddening blackness.

"I'm so scared…" Chloe mocked softly from a different direction.

 After groping blindly for what seemed like hours, Lana abruptly bumped into Jesse.  Intensely aware of her soft form against his body Jesse took a deep breath to calm himself then gently turned Lana around so that he could free her bound hands.  He felt a strand of the heavy rope and broke it apart in his fingers.  Her hands free, Lana turned around and placed a hand on his chest.  "Oh there you are.  I so hate being blind.  I hope you don't think me forward but I just wanted to thank you…" she said innocently, her hands slipping around Jesse's waist and her lips searched for his.  Senses and desires amplified several-fold, Jesse enfolded her in his arms and began kissing her.  Suddenly he broke away.

"You sure you're eighteen?"  he asked, breathing hard, wanting more but fighting it.

"Almost," she gasped.  "This is so unlike me," Lana said, panting.  "I barely know you.  I'm not naturally aggressive, unlike other people I could name.  Why am I liking this?"  Lana asked Jesse, still holding him tightly.

"Maybe it's the company," Jesse replied.  He suddenly grinned in the blinding darkness.  Enhanced strength and senses, he thought.   "Are my eyes glowing?"  he asked.

"Huh?  No," was Lana's questioning reply.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

One of the Justices in the audience noted, "The compound seems to have given the mutant-male super strength and enhanced the sexual appetites of both he and the less aggressive woman.  Dr. Bryce and Ms. Sullivan have become highly irritable and openly combative.  Do you think the effect of the compound is overriding their moral centers?"

Mr. Eckhart's lips twitched in a parody of a smirk.  "We'll see.  It may depend on the strength of character of each individual, then again, it may not matter.  Mr. Kilmartin is a highly moral individual despite the genetic tampering and close association with Dr. Adam Kane.  Lana Lane is a timid young lady with strong inhibitions. We will see if inhibitions and moral upbringing have any effect on resisting the effects of this dangerous substance.  Chloe Sullivan and Dr. Helen Bryce are aggressive women with personal agendas.  Further observation of their activity should be an indicator of how strongly this compound can corrupt an individual's self control and character."  He looked sharply at Lionel Luthor.  "Remember that all of this is the product of LuthorCorp's meddling with human Genetics."

Lionel stared back silently at Eckhart studying his pale face, comparing the voice with the one of the mysterious visitor to his cell.  This man was obviously well connected and knowledgeable.  A dangerous adversary.  He turned his attention back to the drama unfolding on the screen before him.  Hmm.  Maybe Chloe was onto something in her accusations of Dr. Helen Bryce.  His eyes narrowed with calculated anticipation.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"I'm not a fast woman,"  Lana told him. 

 "Yeah," Jesse agreed as Lana hungrily pulled his head toward hers for another intense kiss.  He didn't resist.  

"But you're so irresistible," she whispered in his ear.  

"Mmm."  Jesse replied, certain she was a minor, feeling vaguely uneasy at the speed at which this little romance was escalating, wanting to turn his conscience off so he could fully enjoy the moment.  He continued to analyze the pros and cons of this situation as he always did, despite the strong desire to act upon his base instincts.

"Please,"  Lana was whispering urgently to him.    

Finally tuning in to what she was saying, Jesse suddenly stepped away from her.  "Sorry about the foot," he apologized.  

"I'm sorry I didn't put the brakes on earlier, Jesse.  My mind is screaming no and my body wants…." Lana's voice broke.  "I hope you don't think I'm that kind of girl."

"I think we've been drugged,"  Jesse replied aloud.  "Look at us all.  This isn't the way we normally behave."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Astute observation, Mr. Kilmartin.  Mind against flesh."  The pale white-haired man commented dryly from his remote observatory.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

A sound of a hand striking flesh nearby drew their attention.  "Don't you ever call me that again you blond bitch!"  Dr. Bryce was shouting.  Now that her hands had found the blond teenager, she dug her nails viciously into the exposed flesh.

"I'll call you that whenever I please because that's exactly what you are and that's what everybody thinks of you….OUCH!"  Chloe shouted back, pulling away from the doctor's claw-like grasp on her arm.

"Dr. Bryce, Chloe," Jesse strode quickly toward the sound of the women's voices.  "I think we've been drugged.  Look at us, acting out our aggressions.  Is this the way we normally behave?"

Helen Bryce stepped back shaking with rage.  "No," she told him in a small voice, "but I can't seem to help myself.  It's as if that which gives me self control has been neutralized.  I have never wanted to hurt someone so badly and followed through…"

"Now that's a lie," Chloe laughed in the darkness.  "What put you in anger management classes with your VERY WEALTHY fiancé?"

"My personal life is nobody's business,"  Helen shouted furiously.

"Chloe,"  Jesse said quietly.  "Give it a rest."

Chloe smiled to herself in the darkness.  She felt powerful and newly released despite her bound hands.  "OK."  She said simply.

Lana found Chloe and untied her hands.  Chloe gave Lana a little hug.  "Oh Lana.  You smell like Jesse's aftershave."  Lana couldn't see Chloe's eyes burn with malice but heard it in her voice.  "Wait til I tell Clark."

Lana's eyes darkened with rage, her breathing quickened and her hands tightened into fists.  "You're such a loser, Chloe," she replied arrogantly. "That's why I get all the men without even trying."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"How high is the dosage at this point?" the Justice asked Mr. Eckhart.

"Approximately the equivalent of 0.8 mg/mL."  he replied.

"How long will it take for the effects to wear off?"

"Unknown."  Eckhart replied without emotion.  "It is believed that once removed from the inhalant, the anomalous behavior will gradually disappear.  The physical attributes noted in the first male group seemed to last about eight hours from inhalation before they required a second dose.  The meteor rock seems to affect females differently.  Perhaps we should extend this study."

"The subjects' atypical behavior proves that the material from LuthorCorp affects male and female behavior adversely," the Justice concluded, "producing enhanced physical abilities in males, changing the moral compass of all subjects.  The prosecution has made its point.  Confine the subjects to their quarters."  The Justice instructed Eckhart.  

"Does the Defense have anything to present at this time?"  Mr. Warrren looked at Lionel and shook his head.  He was biding his time, waiting for his plan to play out.  He had prosecuted an air-tight case against Adam Kane for this white-haired madman a few months ago and won, except that Adam's people had come through, laid waste the execution and raped his mind for information as to who had him set Adam up.  The Tribunal had demoted him to Defense Attorney.  He knew where Adam was and was going to get even with him and eliminate his competition in the process.

Mr. Eckhart nodded deferentially to the panel of men that were his audience.

"This concludes the first portion of the evidence against LuthorCorp.  I recommend further study of course, but I leave that decision to the wisdom of the Tribunal."  

"The Tribunal will recess for 2 hours."  The chief Justice replied.

Mr. Eckhart nodded deferentially again and turned off the monitor.  The Justices filed out of the room.  Lionel, hands still shackled, stood up and stared at Eckhart. 

"Why?"  Lionel asked quietly.

"Some questions are better left unasked."  Mason Eckhart replied matter of factly; his dark eyes bored into Lionel's for a moment before he left the room.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The door of the elevator opened with a swoosh.  A rush of cool dry air flew in.  Jesse, Dr. Bryce, Lana and Chloe could see a dimly lit area outside.  Warily they stepped out of the elevator and entered the room.  They heard the elevator doors close behind them.  Jesse scanned the area behind them and around as they moved through the room.  There were cots and metal tables along the far walls.  Two of them were occupied. Jesse ran to them.  

Jesse recognized the tattoo on Brennan's arm.  "Man!  Brennan?" are you all right?"

Brennan and Frank had been strapped down to metal tables with some type of brace.  They were barely recognizable.  In the dim light they looked like grotesque rock formations.  Their faces, arms and torsos looked like composite rock, covered with ridges.  The men lay motionless, holes where the eyes and mouths were supposed to be.

 "What in hell did they do to you Brennan?"  Jesse stared at the rocky ridges on his friend's face, arms and torso, trying to tell if he was breathing.

"Their legs are warm,"  Dr. Bryce told them.  "There is a pulse at the femoral artery.  They're alive."

"Where's the femoral artery?" Chloe asked.  Dr. Bryce stared at her meaningfully, still wanting to lash out at the teenager, deciding she wasn't worth the effort.

"He looks like he was carved from rock!"  Lana exclaimed.  Dr. Bryce carefully palpated the area on Brennan's chest that had been punctured, noting that all previous signs of damage had disappeared.  Chloe hung back for a moment then nudged Lana out of the way.  She stared in shock at what had once been a handsome man.

"Brennan?"  Chloe said.  "Are you alive?"

More alert now, the Elemental tried to blink then struggled against the metallic band that bound him to the metal table.  His body was too heavy and stiff.  His face felt frozen and he couldn't speak.

Jesse tried to break the metallic band and found that it was impervious to even his new found super strength.  

"Brennan, I can't phase anything." Jesse whispered.  "They put a subdermal governor in my head."  Brennan tried to nod but unable to communicate more than a groan through the orifice that was once his mouth. 

"What about Thorne?"  Jesse asked, moving at the same time over to the Telekinetic.  Frank Thorne was lying there quietly, eyes open.  His arms and chest were similarly ridged, scarred and his face was barely recognizable.

"Are they dead?"  Chloe asked.  "What on earth happened to them?"

"I wish I knew."  Jesse answered somberly.


	11. Mirror, Mirror

Chapter 11   Mirror, mirror

 A couple hours later, Shalimar tensed as she heard someone try the door at the end of the lab.  She waved Emma over to the opposite side of the entry.

"Adam, someone's coming."  She turned her head away from Lex toward Clark and let her eyes briefly turn jungle yellow.  Clark grinned at her then looked toward the opening door.

Mr. Queu walked in, humming a tune as he consulted his clipboard.  Shalimar's shoulders dropped visibly when she recognized the man.  Lex and Adam stared at the gray-haired man and exchanged amazed glances. 

"Did you have enough time to complete your examination of your aircraft?"  Queu called out.  When he looked up from his clipboard, his mouth dropped open and his face grew apprehensive at the sight of Lex and Adam still pointing guns at him.

"Was it something I said?"  the grey-haired man asked almost apologetically.

"Oh, sorry Queu," Lex said with an embarrassed laugh.  He and Adam lowered their weapons.  Lex put the weapon in his belt and clapped the older man on the back.  "I received a phone threat just after you left.  We got nervous."  Lex and Mr. Queu walked away from the group as Lex filled his chief researcher in on the incident.  Adam smiled as he watched the two.  They were like father and son.  It was clear that Lex liked the older man and valued his opinions, and that Mr. Queu delighted in sharing them.

Mr. Queu's usually jovial expression had become serious.  "A phone threat?  Who?  How is it that the one who threatened you had not the courage to face you like a man?"  his British accent became choppy when he was upset.  

Lex stepped closer to his lead research scientist.  "C'mon Queu.  I'm sure with your incredible technical genius we can rig something that can help us get out of this dilemma."

The disguised Mr. Eckhart was pensive.  He had not expected active intervention from a third party.  He would find out who this meddler was and what his or her business was with the LuthorCorp case.

"Mr. Luthor, would you show me the phone you took the threat on?" Lex nodded and produced the small device from his pocket.  Mr. Queu smiled wryly and shook his head.  "You couldn't wait, could you?"

Lex looked up at the older man innocently and clapped him on the shoulder.  "It was in the finished product case and you know how I value the stuff you make.  I didn't think that a phone would need any explanation for its use."

Queu's hazel eyes were pensive as they studied Lex.  Lex had put on his innocent boy expression.  "OK," Queu relented.  "Lift the top casing and you'll see a hidden panel of 4 buttons.  The phone records each call.  Left-most is the playback switch for recorded calls.  Adjacent to it is the delete key.  You press it down while reviewing the conversation you wish to delete.  The third button activates or deactivates a GPS mechanism that you can view on the phone screen when you activate the function key.  The fourth key activates the off-line recorder so you can record conversations within the decibel range of the phone.  The play and delete buttons works for those recordings as well. "  Queu one-handed the small phone and played back the phone threat, showing Lex where to turn the volume up.

"Queu, this is really cool!"

"Survival, Mr. Luthor."

"C'mon, Queu, I told you before, just call me Lex," the younger man replied, exasperated at the formality of his chief researcher.

  "Ah… Lex."  The ruddy faced man replied deferentially.  "Survival and control is what it's all about."  

"OK, dad,"  Lex's joking carried a sting .  Queu cocked his head, half listening to the message, half studying his young boss.  He had already recognized the voice on the phone as that of Mr. Warren.  What a shame that the Tribunal had fingered Lex as accomplice in his father's crimes.  Queu smiled to himself.  The young man was much like himself at that age, highly intelligent, mother and brother died earlier in life, subject to an unscrupulous, hateful father.  Lex was intelligent, wise beyond his years, resourceful-- a worthy protege.  He would make sure that Lex came out on top.  He would teach him to survive, to beware even his best friend, Clark Kent.  Queu looked thoughtfully across the room at Adam and Clark Kent.  

Lex smiled at Queu's thoughtful stare at the others.  "Don't trust them?"  he asked pleasantly, remembering how he had noticed three months ago when he first interviewed Mr. Queu that the man was wearing a mask.

_"Very astute observation, Mr. Luthor."__  Queu had replied calmly.  "What gave it away?"_

_The younger Luthor sighed.  "something about the way the neck is supposed to crease but didn't when you turned your head suggested artificial skin.  It's really very good though, lifelike.  But it's a security risk for me.  How am I supposed to know who my employees are if they run around wearing masks?"  he had told Queu.  The man gazed back searchingly with dark hazel eyes. "And how do I know that you don't wear other masks?" Lex continued._

_"Everyone wears masks, Mr. Luthor," Mr. Queu replied seriously.  "However, I would be pleased to remove mine and reveal my true identity to you," Queu replied.  "I prefer to wear a mask because it gives me a more pleasing appearance."  The man had then carefully peeled the mask away, revealing an emaciated, angular lined face.  His dark eyes stood out in dark hollows.  The man's skin was amazingly pale, almost albino under thin unruly dark hair.  Lex stared at Queu's face thoughtfully, memorizing it as he did with all his employees.  "Are you well, Mr. Queu?"_

_ Queu regarded his interviewer sharply, but Lex's gaze was direct, clear and sincere._

_"I have an environmentally induced immune disorder, not dangerous to you, but I need to apply treatments and precautions to protect myself from an environment that most people take for granted.  While my condition is under control, it is my hope to find or develop a cure."_

_Lex nodded, his eyes brooding as Mr. Queue told him his story.  Everything checked out with what he had researched in advance on this man, but he sensed there was more about this valuable man than met the eye.  He would keep Mr. Queu close by his side, just like he kept __Clark__Kent__ to cultivate his confidence and loyalty in him.  Eventually his secret would unveil itself.  Lex's expression brightened. _

_"You came highly recommended, Mr. Queu and from what I've seen of your resume, portfolio and your work, I consider you of great potential for LexCorp."  Lex looked sharply at the pale face.  "I have a number of projects for someone of your capabilities.  I also believe in funding independent research…as long as the information is communicated to me." Mr. Queu nodded, his dark eyes burned with excitement.  Lex smiled to himself and unconsciously touched his bald head.   "Welcome to LexCorp, Mr. Queu."  He said._

Back in the present, Queu frowned in answer to Lex's question.  He looked down,  apparently struggling with being inoffensive or honest with his employer.  Finally the gray-haired man quietly replied,  "No Lex, I can't say that I do.  I don't know them.  There are too many secrets and you are in danger."  Queu turned and met the shorter man's eyes with his own concerned ones.  

"Don't worry, Queu." Lex said confidentially.  "I'm sure we can handle it."  

Queu/Eckhart nodded silently, his expressive eyes becoming calculating as he watched Lex walk back toward his would-be rescuers.  He sat down at his desk and processed the voice from Lex's phone through the database.  He wanted to be sure that Adam saw the match up before the inevitable visit from the Tribunal's drones.

"Excuse me," Emma's soft voice interrupted Queu's thoughts.  The young lady looked pale and fragile. She was shaking.

Queu immediately sprang to his feet and offered the Telempath his seat.  "Are you all right, m'am?"  he exclaimed loudly in his strong British accent.  Emma stared ahead blankly, breathing heavily.  Queu held his hand to her shoulder as if afraid she'd fall over.

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Luthor, ah, Lex?" The older man called out to Lex.  Adam and Shalimar were already running over to help Emma.  

"The young lady seems to be having some sort of seizure."  Queu said concernedly to Adam.  "Does she have these often?"

"Only since the plane crash,"  Shalimar answered.  "She has a head injury."

Emma stared wordlessly at Queu, her eyes black as night.  As Lex and Clark approached, she stared at them and grasped her head.  "I'm falling…." She cried as she lost consciousness.

Adam caught Emma as she fell forward in Queu's chair.  "I'll take care of her, sir."  He said to Queu, waving him away.  In the excitement of the moment, no one noticed the triumphant gleam in Queu's eyes.  The Psionic shield worked better than he had dreamed possible.  The field distorted then reflected the Psionic wave back to the Telempath.  She could get a hit from him whenever she liked, but she had no idea who he was.  Indeed, from what he had observed of her past episodes through the monitor, the field seemed to cause Emma's mind to quantum jump into the future, giving her precognitive powers, possibly interdimensional.  

"Fascinating," Queu/Eckhart thought, watching the red-head revive from a distance.  "If she can survive the mental strain, perhaps she will be useful to me in the future."

Queu touched a switch from where he stood, activating a hologram in the Tribunal's chambers.  He smiled to himself.  Thanks to Lex Luthor's funding, he had engineered the entire complex himself.  The holograms he created were lifelike and tangible, based on Adam's technology with some enhancements of his own.  The Tribunal would be resuming the trial shortly.  The Mr. Eckhart that would be prosecuting there would be the interactive holographic image of himself, enhanced with Adam's technology to have solid mass within those walls.  Everything that occurred in there would be recorded from hundreds of angles.  Queu/Eckhart smiled to himself.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Meanwhile, in the Justice chambers,  the enhanced, Holographic Mr. Eckhart stood before the audience and touched a switch.  

"Here is exhibit #2 against LuthorCorp.  Here we have videotaped two of Adam Kane's New Mutants who have been given an intramuscular injection with a solution of LuthorCorp's Meteor Rock product in the upper torso.  Notice how the subjects' upper bodies assimilate the rocklike properties of the material from which it is made."  

Lionel's eyes widened and he leaned forward to see better.  Yes, that was his bodyguard, Mr Frank Rose lying on the metal table, stripped down to his briefs.  He studied the man, wondering what past connections he had with the white-haired prosecutor.  Lionel glanced quickly back at Eckhart, only to find that the white-haired man had been studying him intently while he was lost in his thoughts.  Lionel took a deep breath, raised an eyebrow and leaned back into his chair, deliberately shifting his gaze back at the video.  He felt he knew this man from somewhere, but couldn't place him.  If Frank Rose was a plant in his organization, there was no knowing how far this Eckhart character had infiltrated.  Here was a dangerous man, indeed.

The camera closed up on two men strapped into cots.  A lab assistant took a syringe containing a fluorescent green fluid and injected the contents into Brennan's arm.  He then took a second syringe and injected the contents into Thorne's arm and quickly left the room.  The camera close up scanned their arms as they turned an eerie green shade.  Rock-like ridges began to protrude from the skin.  The large puncture wound on Brennan's chest visibly shrunk in size then disappeared after the injection.  The camera backed away as they awakened.  The metallic bands that held them down auto-released and the men sprang to their feet and circled each other.

"So you and your Genomex buddies have gotten together to take me on?" Brennan snarled.  "You've got to do a little better than that."  The Elemental winced as he tried to form an electrical arc in his hands but got feedback instead.  He felt the back of his neck and found that a subdermal governor had been installed.  Still, he felt good, better than he had felt in days since the Double Helix's crash.

"Damn!" He spat.  His dark eyes flashed with anger.  "But I won't need my powers to teach you a lesson, Thorne."

Frank Thorne had likewise tried to access his telekinetic powers and found that his powers had been restricted again. The man gave a little shrug and stared at the angry Elemental.  With a smirk he replied, "I had meant to pay you a little visit in the hospital, but it seems that now I get to spend some quality time with you and rehash some old memories."

Thorne ducked as Brennan kicked high at his head.  He felt strangely energetic and grasped Brennan's foot at lightning speed.  Holding it with one hand, he drove the elbow of his free arm into the side of his opponent's knee.  He smiled malevolently as the joint cracked and gave way.  This was too easy.  Brennan groaned and collapsed in pain.

Frank Thorne lifted Brennan up by the armpits, his grey eyes mocking him.  "You're looking pretty green, son."

Furious, Brennan drove the palm of his hand up into Thorne's nose.  The man's head snapped back as he felt cartiledge break and pain explode in his brain.  Roaring with anger and pain, Frank staggered and fell backwards, holding his face.  Blood trickled thickly between his fingers.   Brennan dragged himself toward him, face contorted with hatred.  

"You're looking pretty green yourself, Thorne," Brennan retorted holding himself over the fallen man.  "You Genomex scum.  That was for all the innocent New Mutants that you betrayed to Eckhart and for my brief employment there."  He began squeezing Thorne's throat.  "And this is for arranging for our plane to go down…"

Frank Thorne grasped Brennan's throat with bloody hands and began to crush it with his hands. "I had nothing to do with your plane, but this is for ruining my escape from Genomex, you bastard.  You sold me out to Eckhart."

Brennan's expression changed from implacable rage to something like uncertainty.  

"I didn't sell you out to Eckhart."  The younger man gasped, trying to breathe.  He shifted, letting go of Frank Thorne's throat, placing a knee on Thorne's stomach then jabbed him viciously with an elbow to the shoulder.  Thorne's eyes glazed over in pain but he tightened his grasp on the Elemental's neck.  An open wound that was already beginning to heal appeared on Frank Thorne's shoulder.  Brennan stared open mouthed at his elbow.  It had grown a rock-like spur that was now covered with blood.  What was happening to his body?

"If you didn't sell me out, then who did?"  Thorne demanded sharply, staring up at his adversary.  His eyes suddenly narrowed.   "Did it occur to you that maybe I fled to start a new life without the meddling interferences of Eckhart or your precious Adam Kane?"

"I don't know."  Brennan stated, still trying to pull away.  Frank looked at his hands on Brennan's neck then raised them, letting the Elemental go. 

"It appears that your neck has turned to stone."  He said flatly.

"How's the nose?"  Brennan asked, looking at the man's bloodied face oddly.

"Not feeling the pain,"  Frank's voice faded as he felt odd projections and protuberances on his face.  His upper body felt as if lumps were surfacing all over.  His skin felt tight, yet his energy levels were as high as could be and still rising.

Brennan stood up, testing his leg.  There was no sign of damage.  How could that be?  Were they hallucinating?  Were they drugged?  He felt highly energized, but uncomfortable, as if he was expanding.  Looking down at his arms and chest, he could see more rocklike protuberances beginning to break through his skin and grow.

Looking around the small room, Brennan yelled, "I'm not playing your game, Eckhart."

Frank Thorne said loudly to the air.  "I know you and how you operate, Eckhart.  I will track you down, you know I will."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Mr. Eckhart stared at the defiant Mutants on the screen.  "So hard to get reliable employees these days isn't it, Mr. Luthor?" he mused aloud.

Lionel glanced at Mr. Warren then back at Mr. Eckhart to gauge their reactions.  Their expressions were carefully neutral.  The Tribunal members were watching the two treated subjects mutate before their very eyes with great interest.   

Lionel Luthor had no issue with lying about not knowing Adam Kane earlier.  He had met Adam over 20 years ago when the scientist was feeling his way into a market that wasn't ready for the innovations he was researching.  The man was brilliant, but didn't have the knack for publicity.  Lionel had noticed that Adam was attracted to a certain woman and arranged for her to accommodate him, in return, Adam let him in on the research he was currently working on.  Both men had benefited financially from the product.  That was years ago.  Adam had since dropped out of sight.  Lionel knew from the presence of Adam's team that the brilliant scientist had received the message that he left through Marsden, but would Adam find him in time?  

Lionel contemplated the information he was gleaning about his adversary, Mr. Eckhart through the dialogue of the two Mutant subjects.  He gathered so far that Eckhart had employed these New Mutants in the past and therefore Eckhart was also somehow connected with Adam Kane, but what hold did Mr. Eckhart have over the Tribunal, who was trying him for tampering with human genetics?  Lionel wondered what was in it for Mr. Eckhart.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Brennan looked sideways at his old adversary.  "Looks like we're on the same side," he said to Frank Thorne, trying to smile.  He felt light-headed yet heavy as rock.  Absently, he wondered if Jesse felt like this when he was massing or phasing.  Frank, breathing heavily, started to nod but then his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell over like a board onto the floor.  Brennan tried to move but felt frozen.  Suddenly his legs gave way and he too lost consciousness.

A/N  Hope I haven't lost you.  Since no one reviewed the last chapter, I have to assume it stunk, bored or totally confused everyone and you all were too nice to say so.  This chapter hopefully clarified things.  If there are no reviews for this chapter as well, I can take a hint and will pull the story.  Thanks for reading      : )   


	12. Possibilities

Chapter 12 – Possibilites

A/N:  Hey y'all, thanks much for the encouragement.  I was needing it……….. R.

Time passed slowly in the dimly lit holding area.  Jesse, Lana, Chloe and Dr. Bryce continued to alternate between trying to rouse Brennan and Frank, and between looking for a way out.  Dr. Bryce examined the two unconscious mutants and Jesse and determined that there were at least two implants in the men's skulls and necks.

"They look horrible," Chloe commented to Lana, running a hand along the rock-like mass that was Brennan's face and chest.  "By the way," she added, blushing, "sorry about the nasty comments in the elevator."  

Lana avoided her eyes.  "I think you need to be apologizing to Dr. Bryce."

Chloe stared frustrated at her friend.  Lana hadn't indicated any forgiveness for the Clark comment.  "You still think I'm a loser, don't you?"  Chloe asked, baiting her.

Lana sighed irritably.  Throwing her hands up into the air she said, "I don't know what to think any more, Chloe.  We were all drugged in there and said and did some pretty horrible things.  I just keep thinking that those words and actions wouldn't have come out unless they were already hidden inside of us."  She sighed again.  "I just don't want to think about it!"

Chloe grimaced.  She did feel bad about what she said and wished that she hadn't let out her inner demons back there.  "So you think I'm a loser.  I'm sorry, Lana," the blond said again.  

Lana shrugged dismissively.  "Don't worry about it."  

Chloe stared at her.  "You're still not yourself are you?"  

Lana glared back at Chloe.  "You keep dredging up my past.  I'm not fragile.  I don't lord my tragic past over anyone, and I'm not a Princess.  Now shut up about it. OK?"  Lana's eyes glittered with suppressed rage.  She grasped one of the metal joists that supported the table that Brennan was strapped to and twisted it, leaving her hand print in it.  Chloe stared open-mouthed at her friend then closed her mouth resolutely.

"I guess I'm not messin with you, Lana."  Chloe said, staring at the tortured metal, then at her friend.  Lana stared at Chloe then at her hand in astonishment.

"Dr. Bryce?"  Lana called in alarm.

Helen Bryce and Jesse had been discussing the metallic inserts in Jesse's head.  "My guess is that they are some sort of control devices.  Do you feel any pain, Jesse?" 

"Only when I try to think a certain way," Jesse said evasively.  Dr. Bryce looked at him skeptically.  

Leaning toward him confidentially she told him, "I know about Dr. Kane's experiments and I'm aware of Brennan's unique morphology.  You can trust me, Jesse."

They turned toward Lana at her cry of alarm.  Just then, Brennan began to moan and convulse.  As Jesse and Dr. Bryce ran to them, Brennan started crying  "AHHHHH" through the grotesque, open hole that was his mouth.  Moments later, Frank also began convulsing and crying out in pain.  The metallic bands that held them to the table held firm.  Dr. Bryce hovered cautiously nearby, wanting to help, not sure that the retraints would hold.  The rocklike ridges and formations began to slowly melt away.  Their faces became less distorted; eyelids and eyes became visible, lips grew back over the vacant holes that had been their mouths.  Although the arms and torsos were still rocklike, the mass seemed to recede a little.  The two men quieted down and seemed to sleep.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

A LABORATORY IN LEXCORP….

Emma was under control again.  Adam's eyes inevitably stole over to Queu's computer which displayed a photo of Mr. Warren.  Adam's expression darkened and he approached the thin, gray-haired man.

"Excuse me, Mr. Queu, do you know who this person is displayed on your screen?"  Adam asked.

"Oh.  I was running a cross-check on the voice recorded on Lex's phone, Dr. Kane.  The phone threat, ya know."  Queu responded.  "Is this anyone you know?"

Adam frowned thoughtfully.  "How is it that you have such an advanced database?  Are you hooked up with the government database?"

Lex stepped in.  "I provide only the best possible equipment for my employees, Adam," he said firmly.  "Is this someone you know?"  he repeated Mr. Queu's question.

Adam looked gravely at Lex and at Mr. Queu.  "Yes it is," he replied.  "Lex, remember what I told you about the Tribunal and the lead I received about this group of fanatics?  This man was the Prosecutor.  If they decide to make you stand trial before them, you are on a one-way ticket to a death-sentence.  I fear that your father may have been taken captive by this group."  Queu looked at Adam with a compassionate, pained expression on his face then looked down in order to hide the glee in his eyes.  Adam's previous run-in with the Tribunal undoubtedly left a lasting impression.  He composed himself and looked up, suppressing a sigh.

Lex had a mild, interested expression.  "Looks like you may have had some personal experience with these people."

Adam continued, "Lex, do you have any projects or research pertaining to human genetics?  Any meteor rock experiments?  My sources have informed me that the Tribunal has already determined that LuthorCorp and LexCorp are manufacturing meteor rock products designed to produce unnatural, enhanced humans and they are determined to terminate these alleged operations.  These are powerful, but seriously sociopathic individuals who will stop at nothing to eliminate those who they perceive as dangers to their perception of a perfect society.  These self-righteous vigilantes intend to try and convict you and Lionel for tampering with human genetics."  Adam shook his head.  "I can't imagine what set them against you, that's why I sent my people here in the first place- to warn and protect both of you and to keep you out of the Tribunal's mockery of a trial." 

 "Your story has a thread of consistency, Adam." Lex replied seriously.  "Although I can buy into the concept of powerful individuals manipulating the economy for their own gain, I find it hard to believe in a Conspiracy of said individuals against the Luthors.  I would be more inclined to believe that the Luthor family has membership in this elite group."  Lex smiled skeptically.  "And to think that you and your associates are trying to save us, Adam?"  he asked pleasantly, glancing over at Clark who was listening quietly to the conversation.  "Forgive me for my skepticism, but I can't help but think you're here for something more than rescuing the powerful Luthors from a secret vigilante group.  Are you sure my father hasn't put you up to this little visit in order to see what research or extracurricular activities LexCorp may be involved in?"  A fertilizer plant shouldn't be all that profitable, wouldn't you agree?"

Adam shrugged, his dark eyes unreadable.  "These are people more powerful than you can imagine, Lex.  All I can do is render assistance.  I have had the dubious 'pleasure' of encountering the Tribunal.  They must be dismantled.  My group and I fully intend to apprehend and put a permanent stop to their activities.  The fact that you and Lionel somehow became subjects of their witch hunt makes it all the more urgent that we stop them."

Mr. Queu pursed his lips thoughtfully and looked at Lex Luthor.  Lex returned the look with a slight frown.  The unspoken dialogue did not go unnoticed by Adam.  He wondered what kind of research Lex Luthor had employed the graying scientist for.  Mr. Queu shrugged deferentially and started to walk away, jingling his pocket change. 

"You have an air of familiarity where my father is concerned," Lex commented dryly.  "Perhaps this explains your interest in the Luthors?"

Before Adam could answer, Clark yelled out an alarm.  Lex looked past Adam with alarm and pulled his gun.  Simultaneously, Shalimar shouted a warning while waves of Tribunal soldiers wearing gas masks filed into the lab through the main and back entrances.  Gas poured into the lab through the air vents.  Clark ran to help Shalimar.  For a moment it looked as if they were going to stop the never-ending file of soldiers, but suddenly the effects of the gas overcame the small group of defenders.  Lex saw Queu breathing heavily then collapse.  Shalimar and Clark, overcome by the gas were dragged away by the soldiers.  Adam had staggered toward Emma, trying to help her but collapsed after a few steps.  Emma had valiantly taken down 3 of the several soldiers that surrounded her but weak from the insidious gas, was now struggling weakly against two men who were holding her down.  Lex saw a third approach her with a gun in hand, push her head forward, and press the gun against the exposed back of her neck.  There was a click.  Emma looking stunned, felt at the back of her neck then fell forward.

"This is the last one," the soldier told the commander.

"NO!"  Lex shouted.   He aimed the gun at them, but his vision was blurred.  He felt lightheaded and he didn't want to risk hurting his friends.  Suddenly he heard a shrill high note in his head as his vision went black.  He felt himself falling then felt his body thud onto the floor.  

"Bring them to the holding cell, but keep that one apart for the Prosecutor."  He heard a voice direct someone.

"Keep who apart?  Why?" Lex wondered as he lost consciousness.

Moments later, Queu/Eckhart opened his eyes.  He was alone in the lab except for the Tribunal's military commander.  He stood up. 

"The Prosecutor requested that you be kept apart.  He will question you himself."  

The man settled into an alert but relaxed stance as Mr. Queu shrugged and settled himself in a chair and toyed with the computer.  Hitting a download sequence, Mr. Queu called up and initiated the holographic sequence he had designed for his laboratory.  The door appeared to open and the white-haired Mr. Eckhart strolled in.  With a curt nod, he dismissed the commander to stand outside.

"Mr. Queu, I presume,"  the holographic Eckhart said as the door closed.

Mr. Queu allowed his voice to drop to his normal tone, mimicking that of the hologram.  "Of course," he replied.  Queu/Eckhart walked slowly around the lifelike hologram of himself, Mason Eckhart, and appraised his work.  Standing in front of the computer, he placed his hand on a panel that slid out of the hard drive.  

"Download files," he commanded.  A green light fluoresced briefly as the computer interface fed him the information obtained from the holographic program.  Queu/Eckhart closed his eyes to better visualize the input and smiled.  Removing his hand, he finished the program and murmured to the waiting hologram,  "Nicely done." 

Queu/Eckhart sat back in the chair and put a small wafer in his mouth.  "Carry on," he quipped in his higher pitched accented voice.  His head lolled backward as the drug in the wafer took effect.  The holographic Eckhart strode deliberately to the door and opened it.  The waiting soldier walked in.  "Put him with the others,"  Eckhart told him in a flat, disgusted voice.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

In the cell, Brennan and Frank Thorne continued to lose more of the rocklike quality and return to their human form as the injections wore off.  Dr. Bryce, Chloe, Lana and Jesse hovered nearby, wanting to keep them comfortable, wanting to watch this fascinating recovery process closely.  The men were soon able to turn their heads and talk with each other within the limits of their restraints.

"Man, you sure pack a punch Brennan," Frank commented.

"I could say the same for you.  When does Lionel Luthor's minion get a chance to work out?"  Brennan asked conversationally.

Frank half smirked at Brennan.  "Good benefits," he replied lightly.

The conversation was interrupted as a bright floodlight shone in the middle of the room.  A white-haired man wearing dark framed glasses in a black suit stood there watching them.

Eckhart!  Jesse hissed with loathing.  

"Who's Eckhart?"  Lana asked.  The white-haired man, unpeturbed started to speak conversationally, as if continuing a conversation.

"So we meet again, Mr. Thorne.  It's a shame that you parted on less than pleasant terms.  You could have had a promising career at Genomex but you threw it away."  Turning to Brennan and Jesse, Eckhart said, "Ah, Mr. Mulray and Mr. Kilmartin.  I hope you find your stay comfortable.  I expect your colleagues to join you soon.  It shan't be long."

"This has nothing to do with them," Jesse said, pointing at the ladies.  "why keep them when you have us?"

Eckhart pulled his glassed down slightly in order to peer over them at Jesse.  "Mr. Kilmartin, this has everything to do with them.  It's no longer just about your organization and Adam.  The disease is spreading."

Eckhart turned as if to leave.  Chloe impulsively tried to grab the white-haired man by the arm.  Her hand passed through the image.  Eckhart turned slowly to face the astonished girl.  "Miss Sullivan, what a shame you and Ms. Lang became involved with Adam's law-bending lab experiments."  He stared gravely down at Chloe and sighed deeply.

"But what about Dr. Bryce?  You didn't mention her,"  Chloe persisted.

The hologram image looked sharply at Dr. Bryce.  "Like yourselves, she will stand trial.  I fear that she will pay the same price as the family she is marrying into."  Eckhart sighed. "Family loyalty is such a fickle quality, is it not?"  The lifelike eyes gleamed.

Chloe's eyebrows furrowed suspiciously but she refrained from saying anything.  Helen Bryce raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Don't believe anything he says,"  Brennan raged from the table he was strapped to.  "I know this man and he is a liar." 

The pale, white-haired man stared at Brennan with an almost hurt expression.

 "Mr. Mulray, you surprise me.  Not even a thank you for curing your severe torso wound that you sustained from your accident?  You must admit that Adam's treatment only got you over the edge."  

Brennan involuntarily looked down at the place where the metal shaft had pierced his chest.  The area was smooth except for a jagged scar.  "What do you want, Eckhart?"

"Your cooperation, of course."

Brennan could feel the itch of the subdermal governor implant at the back of his neck.  "You have some insurance to see that you get it, I'm sure."  The white skinned, white-haired man gave him a grave, ghoulish smile. "don't fight me, Mr. Mulray.  Work with me.  I can make it worth your while."

"Too bad you're still in business, Eckhart."  Brennan retorted.  "I aim to put you out of it."  

Eckhart nodded toward Brennan and Frank Thorne.  There was a click and the metal braces that strapped them down suddenly retracted, freeing them.  Jesse tossed their clothes to them.  The women discreetly kept their gazes focused on Eckhart.

"The restraints were necessary to keep you from harming yourselves and the others while your bodies withdrew from the effects of the meteor rock products." Eckhart told them benevolently.  "I can also release you from the subdermal governors, but doing that would release you to a more deadly fate."  Eckhart said.

"What do you mean?" Jesse asked.

"You are certainly aware of the metal implant in your skull, Mr. Thorne, you have two.  The implants are called Controllers, a primitive device created by the Tribunal to study and control their, ahem, Mutant subjects.  They operate in two phases.  First they are activated by your inevitable attempt to use your powers.  Once activated, any additional attempts to try using your powers will randomly activate the next level of the device.  It is not unlike Russian Roulette."   Eckhart stared at the group meaningfully.

"What happens at the next level?"  Dr. Bryce asked quietly.

"Your powers escalate quickly out of control.  Mr. Thorne experienced this with the first controller device.  Fortunately for him, the device was defective and inactivated itself before his Telekinetic powers escalated out of control sufficiently to destroy himself and the surroundings he was in."  

Frank Thorne thought about that time not too long ago and remembered how the farm boy had done something to the device, supposedly with his pocket knife.  Remembering how the mansion walls shook and how objects flew about, Frank exclaimed softly, "We're walking time bombs!"  

Eckhart nodded benevolently.  "By submitting to the sub-dermal governors, you will be safe from the deadly effects of the Controller.  My studies show that while you New Mutants can control the use of your powers, you constantly access them.  If implanted with a Controller, without the benefits of the subdermal governor, you would be in the Phase 2 meltdown possibly within minutes, destroying yourselves and those around you."

"We'll never work with you, Eckhart!" Brennan shouted.  The white-haired man looked inquiringly at Jesse and Frank.

"The same goes for me," Jesse replied.  Frank stood, silently defiant.

Eckhart shrugged.  Pointing a remote at them, he said pleasantly, "well, have it your way, gentlemen.  Let's see how well you can control your natural tendencies to access your powers."  He turned to face Frank.  "Mr. Thorne, I think I will save you for something very special."

"Why have you created such a horrid device?  What right do you have to control the free will of individuals?"  Lana asked angrily.

Eckhart's eyes gleamed.  "First of all, Ms. Lane, I did not create this device.  Adam Kane did.  Now let me ask you this.  Why should good law abiding citizens live in fear of having their homes or lives invaded by people endowed with unnatural powers?  It is bad enough that our society is fraught with 'normal' criminals and psychopaths with a law enforcement system that is severely taxed with the task of controlling them.  Imagine a world made incredibly more complex with the addition of people with mutant powers and more powerful than any law enforcement organization."  

Eckhart looked at Chloe, Dr. Bryce and Lana.  "You have experienced first hand the disruptive effects of LuthorCorp's attempt to take advantage of mutagenic materials.  Tell me, how did you feel in the elevator?  You were subjected to a modest amount of the mutagenic material in question."

"I felt totally out of control," Chloe mused.  "I said things that I would never say or mean, yet in that environment, I felt as if my evil twin took over."

"Me too," Lana agreed.  Jesse frowned.  The man was certainly making his point.  

Dr. Bryce mused thoughtfully.  "It felt more as if our natural feelings and tendencies were enhanced.  I had difficulty controlling myself.  But this effect can be caused by use of certain drugs.  How do we know that this is caused by Mutagenic material?

"My point exactly."  Eckhart replied.  "The Tribunal used you to make the point that tampering with human nature with seized materials from LuthorCorp's R & D materials does NOT enhance the quality of human life.  The data which you have provided proved that humans cannot deal with enhancements in their nature.  It seemed to have brought out the animal nature in you.  Had not the experiment been terminated, I fear the worst may have happened."  The pale man's lips twisted in a parody of a sneer.  "The Tribunal is prosecuting LuthorCorp with the intent to enforce a total cessation in the research, manufacture, and distribution of their Mutagenic Products.  It has been touted to enhance physical performance, yet as you have observed, it's not that simple."  Eckhart looked down gravely.

"We know that isn't true in all cases, Eckhart." Jesse objected.  "There are gifted people who have learned to control their gifts and use them for the good of society.  What about those individuals?"

Eckhart bowed his head for a moment. As he looked up at them, his glasses glinted in the floodlight that he was standing in.   "You must be referring to the New Mutants that we have placed sub-dermal governors on for their protection and ours."

Brennan interjected, "we know you're not a saint, Eckhart.  What do you plan to get out of this?  More control over innocent people?  A perfect race of humans?  We know first hand the type of benevolent control you intend."  Brennan spat at Eckhart.

"You really should try some anger management, Mr. Mulray,"  Mr. Eckhart suggested, his eyes straying to Dr. Bryce.  Helen's mouth dropped open in quiet alarm.  That man knew everything.

"Yes," Eckhart gloated softly at her reaction before turning his gaze back to Brennan.  Brennan glowered and backed down.  "You New Mutants were artificially engineered by Adam Kane.  You must be artificially controlled for the good of society." Eckhart said simply.  Chloe looked at him in horror.

Brennan threw his hands up in disgust.  "There is no changing that psychopath."

Lana looked up at him neutrally.  "But what he says does make sense."

Jesse gently took Lana aside.  "He puts forth bits of the truth and manipulates it with lies to present reasonable arguments.  Don't trust him, Lana.  Think about what he's saying.  This man wants to enslave people who are different from the rest of the population."

Eckhart stared gravely at Lana.  "Or perhaps, Ms. Lang, there is a gifted segment of the population who think they are above the law and are soliciting followers?  Interesting perspective, is it not?"  The pale man sighed.  "Alas, I would continue this interesting discourse, but I have more pressing matters."  With that Mr. Eckhart closed his eyes and faded out of sight.

"He freed us", Frank said thoughtfully.  "I wonder what kind of entertainment he has in store for us next?"

"Now that Jesse and I are free, I think he's waiting for us to make a break for it," Brennan replied.

"We have to carefully watch the use of our powers,"  Jesse reminded him.  The dark-haired man nodded.

A few moments later, the small group heard the rumbling noise of a moving elevator.  After the noise stopped, Jesse, Brennan and Frank cautiously approached the elevator.  The doors remained closed.  

"Here, let me try."  Jesse  pulled the doors apart with his bare hands.

"Where'd you get that ability, Jesse?"  Brennan asked in amazement.

"A little souvenir from my last trip in that elevator," the Molecular replied, shrugging.  "I didn't think it would tip off the Controller."

"Well looky what we have here," Frank said musingly.

"Adam! Shalimar!"  Brennan exclaimed at seeing their limp bodies on top of a pile of bodies.  

"Emma, Adam and Clark are here too," Jesse added.

"as well as Lex and Mr. Queu,"  Dr. Bryce added, checking their pulses.

"It looks as if they were just like…dumped there," Chloe commented distastefully.  "Are they all right?"

"Hey, wake up."  Jesse lightly patted Emma's face.  

Lana cautiously approached Adam and shook his arm.  "Hello, please wake up, sir."  

Helen Bryce gently touched her arm.  "I'll take care of him, Lana."

"Adam," Dr. Bryce whispered, shaking him gently.  She placed her head on his chest to listen for a heartbeat.  

Through a haze, Lex heard his fiance's voice.  He felt someone lying across his chest and opened his eyes.  Shalimar was sprawled over him, still unconscious.  "I could almost like this," Lex thought absently, then shook himself out of the drugged languor.  Helen was kneeling next to him, her attention focused on Adam at the top of the pile;  Brennan and Jesse had extricated Emma, dragged her to one of the cots in the cell and were now returning.  Chloe and Lana had assisted Clark to the nearest wall within the elevator.  The farm boy looked horrible.  Lex wondered what 'they' might have done to him.  Frank was at the other side of this odd pig-pile of humanity, trying to rouse and move the unconscious Mr. Queu out of the elevator into the holding room.  Upon hearing Lex stir, Dr. Bryce left Adam and turned toward her fiancé.

"Can you move, Lex?"  she asked, stroking his face gently.                                                       

 Mr. Queu complained softly to Frank as he dragged him away from the cluster of people.  "Yeah, as soon as we move some people around," Lex answered, gently shaking Shalimar.  The blonde opened her eyes suddenly, assessed where she was in a moment, then cringed as if seized with a headache.  She sprang up quickly, glancing at Helen. "Sorry," she said to Lex a little self-consciously, straightening her clothes.  She suddenly reached for the back of her neck.  Her hand stopped there and a look of anger mixed with horror crossed her face.

"No problem, is there something wrong?"  Lex asked Shalimar who was standing there with a look of furious disbelief written all over her face.  Lex automatically extended his hand to Helen, who grasped his hand and pulled him up.  Unfortunately, the intended hand up resulted in Lex flying across the room.

"LEX!"  Helen shouted, horrified at what she just did.

Chloe stared in horror at the flying figure and like the others, willed him not to hit the wall.  Lex Luthor stopped in mid-air inches from the wall, about ten feet off the ground.  

"Um, can someone get me down from here?"  Lex asked uneasily, not liking to dangle so helplessly for all to see.  As Jesse and Brennan tried to pull Lex out of the air, the revived Mr. Queu was sitting next to a semi-conscious Adam.  The graying man stared with unbridled amazement at his employer.  Lana looked at Chloe, who was also staring transfixed at the amazing sight.

"This would be an amazing story," Lana half joked.  Chloe continued to stare, feeling a distinct connection with the dangling man.  Coming to her senses, she willed Lex to slowly descend and he did.  Lex looked around suspiciously.  Helen ran to him.

"Oh Lex, I'm so sorry, I didn't know I had this amazing strength."  The beautiful brunette tentatively took his hand.  Lex covered her hand with his other hand.  

"It's all right, Helen.  There is a lot we don't understand right now, but we will."  His light eyes had a steely, determined expression.  He gazed around at the group.  The two scientists were sitting together across from him- Adam was still trying to clear his head while Emma spoke earnestly with him.  Clark had crawled away from the group and huddled by himself, obviously feeling under the weather.  Lana sat near him, trying to help him feel more comfortable.  For a moment, Lex smiled at the irony of the situation.  The Mutants, Frank, Shalimar, Brennan, and Jesse stood further away in the holding room, watchful, but engaged in their own quiet discussion. Chloe stood uncharacteristically off by herself.  She had been looking down but now her gaze met his and he understood in an instant how he avoided the collision with the wall.  

Chloe looked at Lex thoughtfully.  Her blue eyes had an eerie greenish glow.  She had a strange new power.  Chloe swallowed.  The possibilities were endless.  


	13. New Mutants

Chapter 13 New Mutants

A/N- Thanks again for the feedback and for hanging in there.  I know this has been a long, twisted road.  The casts have for the most part finally come together in one place and the inevitable confrontation with the Tribunal will soon occur (but not in this chapter).   I love having these guys flirt with each other and I promise I'll never misspell Brennan Mulwray's name again.   Really.

*************************

"Chloe?"  Lex called.  "Are you all right?"  The perky blond gazed at him and Helen silently.   Her blue eyes had an odd, almost animal green fluorescence.  She stared hard at them.  Helen began to slowly float upward. 

"HEY!  Put me down."  Helen shouted indignantly, getting everyone's attention.

An impish grin suddenly spread over Chloe's face.  "I feel fine," she replied as she cheerfully complied with Dr. Bryce's demand.

Adam approached the small group still in the elevator.  "How about we move ourselves to more comfortable quarters?"  He gestured out toward the holding cell.  "I think we all have pieces of the overall picture that we need to put together."  When Lana and Chloe offered Clark a hand up he waved his friends away when their close proximity to him almost made him collapse.  

"What's with him?"  Lana murmured to Chloe.

"Stupid Male egos," he heard Chloe comment.  Clark slowly shuffled out alone after them.  Lex waved Helen on ahead of him and fell in step with Clark. 

"Man, you look like hell!  How are you holding up?  Did they do something to you?"  Lex looked concerned.

"I just feel a little nauseous," Clark replied, staring determinedly ahead.  "I was fine until after they knocked us out.  I don't know what they did to me.  I feel so…weak."

Lex frowned.  He hated it when he couldn't help his friends, especially Clark Kent.  The bald young man stared thoughtfully at his younger friend.   "Yeah, Shalimar discovered an implant in the back of her neck.  She apparently got injected after they knocked us all out.  I noticed that Brennan and Frank have them too.  I don't have one."  Lex shook his head.  "Do you have one?"  

Clark felt the back of his neck.  Sure enough, at the base of his skull, under a swirl of hair, there was a circular implant. He frowned incredulously.   How could they have possibly gotten that through my skin, he wondered silently, except that I've been overexposed to the meteor rock.  "Is this what's making me sick?" he wondered aloud.

"Hey Queu,"  Lex called to his chief researcher, "Did you get an implant in the back of your neck?"  The older man raised an eyebrow and felt the back of his neck.  Queu/Eckhart feigned a stricken look.

"What is this device?" he exclaimed.  "Are the captors branding their prey?"

Lex straddled a chair where he could see the expressions on everyone's faces, well, almost everyone.  Helen stood behind him, hands gently kneeding his shoulders.  He noted that Queu had placed himself in a similar strategic position.  Queu liked watching people.  Frank leaned against the wall, eyes closed, looking bored.  Shalimar and Brennan stood closely side by side within each other's personal space, the backs of their hands nearly touching as they waited for everyone to quiet down.  Clark hung back a couple feet away looking subdued, but was listening intently. He stole a look at the golden Feral who was  at that moment looking up at Brennan with a playful smile. Clark glanced down and shrugged.  Shalimar then looked straight at Clark.  Catching his eye, she winked at him and nodded her head in the direction of Lana and Chloe.  Clark broke out into a wide grin despite himself.  Emma sat quietly on the floor, her expression tranquil while Adam paced restlessly, waiting for the conversation to die down. Jesse was still in deep conversation with Lana and Chloe.

"Shall we begin?" Adam asked loudly, commanding their attention.  As they looked at Adam, Chloe's eyes fluoresced again.  

"Chloe," Adam began-

"Yeah, yeah my eyes look strange," Chloe interrupted.

" You seem to have developed distinct telekinetic abilities," Adam continued.  "Do you feel all right?"

"I feel fine.  I love it."  Chloe said.  "I'd say this will be a definite plus in my journalistic endeavors."  Lana rolled her eyes.

"We were exposed to an aerosol, apparently containing meteor rock components,"  Jesse said.  "I developed super-human strength in the elevator while Lana and Dr. Bryce showed the same abilities a couple hours after we left the elevator."  Jesse looked at Dr. Bryce, who smiled wryly.

"I have to attribute the delayed development to the larger amount of fatty tissue that resides in the mature female anatomy," she said with a smile.  As Adam nodded in agreement, Mr. Queu listened in obvious fascination.

"So, can we assume that the powers will stay longer, if not permanently in women because of," Mr. Queu cleared his throat looking a little embarrassed, "your female physiology?"

"I hope there's no risk of cancer," Lana said hugging herself, while Dr. Bryce nodded at Mr. Queu in answer to his question.  

As the older man's eyes met hers for a brief moment, Dr. Bryce started uneasily at the thoughtful, calculating expression in his eyes.  She had never been sure that she liked this man that Lex was treating more and more like a surrogate father, now she wondered if the distrust was mutual.  Mr. Queu glanced at Lex and nodded slightly at him.  Not far away, Adam also noticed the unspoken dialog.  With a sharp glance at the group, Adam said, "It is imperative that we catalog what we can and cannot do, if we hope to escape what the Tribunal has in store and prevail against them.  No one is an island unto themselves.  We must work as a team.  To begin with, Lana, Dr. Bryce, and Jesse seem to have super-human strength.  This will be a plus for us if they learn to control their abilities.  Jesse, Brennan and Shalimar can work with them in basic defense and hand to hand combat techniques.  Chloe has apparent telekinetic abilities.  It would be appropriate for Emma and Frank to tutor her in the use of Psionic abilities.

"Frank has Psionic abilities?"  Lex asked in surprise.  "Did my father know about that?"

"Proprietary information, Mr. Luthor."  Frank replied in his gravelly voice.  "Government stuff, you know the route."

Lex gave Frank a hard look then turned to Clark.  "Clark seems to still be suffering adverse effects from whatever experiments the Tribunal performed on him.  I hope this is as temporary as Brennan and Frank's earlier condition and recovery."  Lex looked back at Adam and added, "Helen briefed me on their condition."

"We were fortunate, Lex."  Brennan said.  "What if Clark's Non-Mutant physiology doesn't permit him to spring back like we did?  What if they did something to him that has crippled him permanently?"  

Emma added, "It appears that half of us are hobbled with Sub-dermal governors.  I wonder why the Tribunal would install them on two normal people like Mr. Queu and Clark?"  

"Sub-dermal governors?" Lex asked.  "What are they?"

Adam took a deep breath.  "As you know, New Mutants resulted from genetic  experimentation done by a secret government project in an effort to find a cure for deadly diseases.  Some of the New Mutants did not adapt socially to their new abilities and became dangerous to themselves and to others.  The governors and other devices were invented to control these New Mutants."

As Chloe listened silently, taking mental notes, Lana chimed in, "Mr. Eckhart said that you invented the sub-dermal governors.  I think they are horrible devices."  She stared accusingly at him.

Adam gazed back, his dark eyes appraising the young woman.  "Yes, I did." He answered quietly.  

Lana's eyes filled with rage.  "How can you claim to be an ethical scientist when you invent things that are designed to control others against their will?"  She raised her fist slightly and slammed it down into the table she was standing beside.  The table crumpled.

"Will I be the next thing your temper destroys with your superior strength?  Is that what your new powers are doing to you?"  Adam asked Lana quietly.  Lana backed down, eyes glittering with tears.  

"I'm not like that, Adam, please believe me,"  Lana answered in a quavery voice.  

Adam looked at Lana, Chloe and Dr. Bryce.  "You three have suddenly and unexpectedly come into some amazing gifts, presumably due to the Tribunal's manipulation of your bodies with meteor rock products. Although your enhanced abilities are similar to those who received treatments from a government program, I believe that the mode by which your bodies have changed is different.  The Sub-dermal governors might not be effective in controlling your abilities, should they succeed in installing them on you.  Your challenge will be to remember that you are still a member of human society and are still subject to society's rules.  You are not gods.  You must blend into a population of 'un-enhanced' humans."  Adam looked searchingly at the three women, hoping to see agreement.  Shalimar and Emma looked at them sympathetically.

The rest of the group had gathered around Adam as he spoke.  "In answer to your comment, Lana, like so many other inventions," he said, "the sub-dermal governor was made with therapeutic intentions- to help New Mutants control their gifts while they adapted.  Unfortunately, my work got into the hands of unscrupulous people like Mr. Eckhart who then used it to take advantage of and to control these gifted people."  Adam's dark eyes were filled with pain and indignation as he nodded at Frank Thorne and the members of Mutant X.  Looking at Lex, Adam said "I don't know why they put sub-dermal governors on Mr. Queu and Clark but not on you, me, Dr. Bryce, Lana and Chloe.  They certainly had the opportunity.  I could speculate that either they thought Mr. Queu and Clark were New Mutants and needed to be controlled," Adam shook his head and smiled briefly, "or perhaps the devices are different in function from the one I patented and if that's so, we're in for more surprises."

"We're normal humans, Dr. Kane," Mr. Queu said.  "Perhaps Clark and I are designated as future experiments," he offered, rubbing at the back of his neck.  "How do these things come off?"  he asked.   

Adam replied, "There's an electrical key that is used to unlock the device.  Brennan has some talent in the area of unlocking these things. 

"Adam," Brennan said, "Before you arrived, we were visited by a holographic Eckhart.  Among other things, he released Jesse and me from the sub-dermal governors with a warning that any use of our powers will activate the second device that was implanted in our heads, the Controller."

Jesse added, "According to him, the Controllers are some kind of Tribunal device that, once activated, will randomly start accelerating our powers until we and our environment have been destroyed by them."

"Mr. Eckhart presented the argument that the Sub-dermal governors were a safeguard against activating the Controllers, but Brennan and Jesse weren't buying it.  As a result, he deactivated the Governors."  Helen Bryce commented.  "I can't say I buy into the man's concept of control for the good of society, but he did seem genuinely concerned."

Adam's face was aghast. "Is there anything that sociopath won't try?"  he exclaimed.  "Mr. Queu, you're good with mechanical devices.  I was wondering if you would also take a look at the Controller device to see if you might have an idea how to deactivate them."

Mr. Queu's noncommittal expression brightened.  "Of course, Dr. Kane.  I would be happy to have a peek at the little devil."  The wrinkled, gray haired man made a show of straightening his clothes then looked at Emma and Shalimar .  "Which of these two lovely ladies may I examine first?" Emma and Shalimar giggled.  

Adam scowled and shook his head.  "Lighten up, Adam.  He's harmless."  Lex said with an amused smile.  

 "I'm not sure how much time we have to prepare ourselves." Adam replied.  "I wonder how much of Eckhart's story is true?  He is known for dispensing small amounts of the truth with large amounts of his twisted spin.  He has also been known to lie outright.  If the Tribunal's Controller devices really do what he claims, then Brennan and Jesse may only have one shot at using their abilities.  After that, they have any number of opportunities to use their abilities ranging from one to whatever, before the device destroys them.  Then again, it may all be a lie and we're holding back for nothing."  Adam looked at Jesse and Brennan.  "I can't have you take that risk." 

"Perhaps Mr. Eckhart is counting on you not believing his story,"  Mr. Queu offered seriously.  

Brennan paced irritably.  So here we are, prisoners of our own bodies.  Adam, I could free one person before the risk factor sets in.

Adam shook his head.  "No, Brennan, too risky, especially when we still have other options.  Let us take a look at the Controllers.  Maybe we can disable these things."  

Frank stared cautiously at Adam, then at Clark.  Quietly stepping to Adam, he said, "That kid disabled the first controller that was in my head at the mansion when my…" he cast a backward look at Choe and Lana "…abilities started to go out of control.  Clark used his pocket knife.  It can't be that difficult."

"Does anyone have a pocket knife?"  Shalimar asked cheerfully, hearing every word.  Frank glared at her.  Adam looked concerned at Clark, who was sitting against the wall at the rear of the group huddled into a small ball.

"Maybe he can show you what he did."  Frank persisted.

Adam looked at Clark with concern.  "Clark, you look horrible.  Would you mind if I gave you a check up?"  Clark shook his head listlessly.  "No problem," he answered. Adam helped him up by the arm and as they walked to the other end of the twenty foot room, Clark suddenly seemed to spring back to life.

"I feel much better, Adam."  Clark whispered.  "I'm sure now that it's the meteor rock still in the bodies of my friends that was making me sick.  I'll be fine as long as I'm several feet away from the Kryptonite in their bodies."

"Being in this room isn't going to help," Adam replied.  "So you call meteor rock, Kryptonite?"

Clark nodded.  "That's the name of the planet that this meteor rock came from.  I had consulted an expert in the field a few months ago."  The farm boy looked down while Adam checked the sub-dermal governor at the back of his neck.  Adam whistled softly.

"I doubt that this is functional.  In fact it looks like your body is in the process of rejecting it."  Adam stared at Clark with a fascinated expression.  "You're exhibiting advanced regenerative powers.  Shalimar told me that you have some pretty special powers.  What did you really do to Frank's Controller device?"  Adam checked Clark's pulse.

"I used a heat ray.  A very thin, controlled burst melted it down."  Clark whispered.  Adam nodded.  "I didn't want Mr. Rose to know what I am so I showed him my knife-kit.  My folks told me to never disclose what I can do to others.  I guess they're just trying to protect me."

"Your folks are very wise, indeed.  You do well to take their advice."  Adam replied.  He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder.  When Clark looked up at him, Adam said,  "You have a great destiny ahead of you, Clark.  You'll learn that some things are never what they appear to be on the surface.  Listen to your parents, they love you and seem to be very wise people.  If you ever decide that you need to disappear, we can arrange it for you."  

Clark nodded.  "I'll be fine here, Adam.  Thanks."

Adam smiled and walked back to the group.  Clark followed with a determined look on his face as the waves of fatigue and nausea swept over him again.

*********************

As Jesse sat in a chair before Adam and Mr. Queu to let them examine the small piece of the Tribunal's Controller in his head, Mr. Queu cast an exaggerated, regretful glance in Shalimar's and Emma's direction.  Lex smirked at Queu and clapped him on the back.  "Nice," he teased, then followed Helen to observe her training.  Queu stood beside Adam and looking across the room at the group of New Mutants, sighed heavily.  Adam unconsciously flinched.

**********************

 "How does it feel to have special powers?" Lex asked almost wistfully, watching Helen and Lana."  Helen smiled without answering, as she imitated Shalimar's catlike movements.

**********************

"So you have telekinetic powers too," Chloe was saying to Frank.  "How does yours work?  All I have to do is visualize what I want and things start floating around to make it so.  Emma, what's your power?"

"I'm a Telempath.  I can read and project feelings."  Emma said simply.  "Clear your mind.  You will find that your powers operate more quickly and efficiently if you can focus and block out the distractions around you."

"Emma's right," Frank answered.  "You start moving things with your mind, a distraction could cause you to drop what your currently focused on and or start moving other things that you didn't intend,"  

"I don't think I need your help, guys," Chloe said.  "My powers worked fine.  See?"

Emma and Frank exchanged frustrated looks as the young blond focused and caused them to levitate a couple feet above the floor.  Shalimar, noticing the situation quietly walked over and stood closely behind Chloe.  

"Haven't you ever learned to respect your teachers?"  the Feral asked quietly in her ear.  Chloe let out a little shriek.  Emma and Frank dropped to the ground while Shalimar and five others of the group went flying.  As faces glared at her, a chastened Chloe, ruefully grinned and said, "Point well taken."

*************************

The back corner of the room seemed to fluoresce brightly and the image of Mason Eckhart appeared.

"He's back," Chloe said.

The white-haired man draped in a long black gown like a judge glanced around the room, assessing look on his face.  Turning to Adam, he said, "Ah, ADam," he said, "so nice of you to drop in."  he said.  "Saves me the work of tracking you down and bringing you to justice."

"Mason, we all know the Tribunal has nothing to do with justice." Adam growled, now face to face with the life-sized hologram.

"You know him?"  Queu asked.

Eckhart continued, "But it has everything to do with bringing down a known fugitive who has altered and ruined thousands of lives with his genetic experiments.  Shameless scientific curiosity, all in the almighty name of science- or was it in the almighty name of Adam Kane's quest for mastery of the human genome?  How blasphemous! "  The pale man paced dramatically and glared at Adam over his dark framed glasses.  "Shame on you, Adam for what you have done." He reprimanded.  

Adam stared amazed at the audacity of the his adversary, then spat back, "and what about you, Mason Eckhart?  And what about your enslavement of hundreds of these children of Genomex?  You've held them against their will, just as you've done with us here, and experimented on them as if they were nothing but lab animals!"

The white-haired man stared at Adam and ignored his question.  "The Tribunal will pick up your trial where it left off.  Mutant X will share in your sentence."  He turned to Lex.  "Mr. Luthor, my research shows that this does not concern you.  The Tribunal, unfortunately thought otherwise and had you collected as part of your father's party."

"What crime is my father being tried for?"  Lex asked.

The hologram shook its head.  "The less you know, the better.  You have all been subject to the, ah, products of your father's research.  He must be stopped."  The hologram stared at Adam.  "Just like this man who claims to be the wronged scientist.  I will try to convince the Tribunal to release you, Mr. Luthor, and restrict their investigation to their principle suspects."

"and my friends?"  Lex asked.  The image stared appraisingly at Mr. Queu, Clark, Helen, Lana and Chloe.  Helen shivered as the hologram's unreadable gaze met hers.  "They have been contaminated, however, we may be able to make arrangements," Eckhart said softly, not taking his eyes off hers.

Just then, the door to the holding area opened and Mr. Warren walked in.  Staring at Eckhart with unbridled hostility, Mr. Warren said, "I wasn't aware that the Prosecutor made house calls."  He pulled out his revolver and after glancing around briefly, shot at one of the ceiling tiles.  The image of Mason Eckhart flickered and began fading.  Eckhart leaned toward the Defense Counsel and with a mocking half-smile said softly, "I will prevail, Counsel."

After the image faded completely, the burly, business suited man pointed his revolver at Lex and Helen and gestured them to step aside.  "I'm Mr. Warren, your father's Defense Counsel.  I'm here to collect the rest of my clients."

"No.  You're not taking me anywhere," Lex replied, standing his ground.  

"YOU'RE not going anywhere either,"  Shalimar growled at Mr. Warren.  The man shrugged and pressed his revolver into Helen's back.  The beautiful brunette bit back her terror at the feel of solid metal at her shoulder. 

"Looks like you don't have much of a choice," Mr. Warren replied, producing a small black box with his free hand.   " If any of you make a move or if I get any more resistance from Mr. Lex, she gets the bullet."   Lex cast a warning glance at Shalimar.  The blond Feral backed down.

"That's better.  Now as a little insurance…."  The Counselor pressed a button and 

the closely gathered group suddenly became bathed in a golden haze, frozen in whatever position they were in, captured in a stasis beam.  Mr. Warren kept an arm wrapped around Helen, revolver buried in her back.  She stumbled to keep pace with him as he paced restlessly around the confines of the stasis field he created.  "Sorry, Adam.  Your trial is finished.  We only need to complete your sentence."  He stood in front of Adam and smiled evilly.

"Adam, you really should train your people to stand strategically apart.  This was too easy.  The Tribunal wants to purge the world of your Mutant creations and they have the resources to do it. We will rid the world of people like yourself who create these anomalies," he added.

"What about the alleged accusations against my father and me?"  Lex demanded.  "What kind of defense are you?"  Lex's expression grew wary at the evil smile from the silent Counselor.  

"With your cooperation, Mr. Luthor- mind if I call you Lex-  after I win this case for your father, the Tribunal will restore me to my rightful place as Prosecutor, then I will have Adam and his little band of renegade freaks properly taken care of."  Mr. Warren smiled as he kept Lex Luthor in view, dragging the lovely Helen Bryce around the room with him.  The young millionaire would do anything he asked to protect his friends and fiance.  What a chump, he thought.  

Helen, uncomfortable and humiliated began to feel her trademark anger begin to rise.  This was not the time or place, she warned herself, but the experiment had enhanced her physical strength and emotions, not her self control.

As Mr. Warren inspected his stasis-frozen captives, he grinned at Lex and down at Helen.  "Such hostility," he said in an amused tone as frozen, angry expressions glared back at him.  He peered at Adam and Mr. Queu, whose heads were turned toward him.  Queu's expression was uncharacteristically angry and forbidding.  Turning his attention back to Lex and Helen he said curtly, "Let's go."

Unable to contain her anger any longer, Helen broke out of her captor's grasp and flung him at the wall.  Everything seemed to move in slow motion.  The revolver went off as the burly businessman flew backwards toward the wall.  Helen grasped her chest and collapsed in pain.  Lex stared in horror for a moment and dived to catch Helen as she fell to the floor, blood running down the front of her blouse and onto his shirt.  He knelt over his fiancé.  The remote clattered to the floor and slid to Adam's feet, engulfed in the stasis field.  Mr. Warren hit the wall with force, but landed on his feet, revolver still in hand.

"Get going, NOW!" he shouted at Lex, wildly jabbing the gun at him.  Lex's eyes strayed momentarily to Queu, who was still frozen in the golden beam, his face a mask of terrible anger.  Lex then looked down at Helen, who was pale and barely conscious.

"I love you, Lex," she whispered.  "Save yourself."

"You're no more than a murderer," Lex snarled at the man.  Mr. Warren grabbed Lex by the collar and hauled him to his feet, burying the gun in his chest.  

"MOVE!"  he shouted.  Furious at himself for being so helpless, Lex angrily complied with the man's demands but kept looking back frantically at Helen's still, bleeding form lying on the floor.  The rest of his fellow captives stood frozen in place like mannequins.

"MOVE!"  Mr. Warren shouted again.  Looking back one last time, Lex yelled, "Helen!"

Mr. Warren pressed his thumb into a pad near the door.  It opened and he pushed Lex out the door, revolver buried in his back.  The door slammed shut and locked with a click.


	14. The Unknown

Chapter 14- The Unknown

A/N – sorry this is shorter than the usual chapter, but it needed to stop where it does to balance out the next.…Thanks as always for the reviews an feedback.  

As the door clanged shut, the group in stasis grew panicky as they watched Helen pant shallowly on the concrete floor then lay still.  Clark still feeling weak from his proximity to meteor rock desperately fought the stasis field.  Accessing his super speed, he was able to move only his head.  Glancing around, Clark noted that the only person who seemed to be looking in his direction was Mr. Queu.  The lanky farm boy decided he had to chance it.  Clark looked up at the ceiling used his x-ray vision to see where the stasis beams were originating from.  He found that the entire cell was impregnated with miniature cameras and various emitters.  He could see the stasis beams emanating from a bank of emitters far to the left of the group.  Carefully targeting that bank of emitters, Clark used his heat vision to burn it out.  Sparks flew from the ceiling and the tiles that concealed the devices burst into flame.  Suddenly the stasis field was gone.  Pandemonium broke loose as the newly released captives ran to help Helen, who lay quietly on her side.  Clark hung back momentarily exhausted; felt his strength return as his meteor rock contaminated friends moved away from him.  Mr. Queu stared at him for a moment with an odd expression of guarded fascination and comprehension before hurrying to join the group, leaving Clark standing alone, wondering how much the graying man saw.

Adam grimly peeled away the upper left collar of Helen's blouse to view the bullet wound and carefully pulled her long hair to the side, discreetly keeping the rest of her body covered.  The bleeding had stopped.  As they watched, the bullet floated into sight in the open wound as her body rejected it then slowly dropped out onto the floor.  Adam's coal-black eyes sparkled with fascination as he watched the body heal before his very eyes.  Mr. Queu, watching from a distance clasped a fist over his mouth as he watched. The wound then closed of its own accord.  Helen still unconscious seemed to drop into a more relaxed breathing pattern.  Everyone simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.  Brennan picked her up and gently laid her on one of the cots as Shalimar and Emma stayed nearby.

Crisis averted, Adam asked, "What happened to the stasis field?"  Everyone looked at each other and shrugged when no answer seemed to be forthcoming.  

Mr. Queu's dark eyes burned into Clark.  "Rats?"  he asked.

Clark shrugged and quipped, "Faulty wiring's my guess."

*******

Lex felt as if he walked a mile in dark twisted corridors with a madman prodding him onward with the cold hard barrel of a revolver in his back.  He wondered absently how this man could see in the absolute darkness.

"Here.  Stop here," Mr. Warren ordered, pushing the gun into Lex's back.

"OK, OK.  I'm not going anywhere," Lex replied, eyes darting all around to identify his surroundings.  The burly man found the ID pad and pressed his thumb into it.  The heavy door sprang open and Lex found himself looking into a large dark room containing what looked like a lighted cage in the middle.  A familiar long-haired figure stood under the light, looking directly toward the two men.

"Dad!"  Lex called.  Mr. Warren allowed Lex to approach the cage then opened the door and pushed him in.

"Son!  Lex, are you all right?"  Lionel Luthor extended his hands toward his son and grasped his shoulders.

"That son of a bitch shot Helen!" Lex told him, staring daggers at Mr. Warren.

Mr. Warren raised both hands in a shrug.  "She threw me across the room and the gun went off.  I didn't' mean to shoot her."

"Like hell," Lex replied bitterly, turning like a cat he lunged at the bars that separated him from his tormentor.  "You murdering son of a bitch!"

Lionel looked sharply at Mr. Warren.  "That son of a bitch happens to be our ticket out of here.  You have to trust me, son."  Lionel looked expectantly at Lex and extended a hand.

Lex looked at his father dubiously.  "Looks like I don't have a choice."

Lionel laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.  "I like your spirit, son."  

Mr. Warren looked at his watch.  "I hate to break up this little family reunion, but we have a trial to attend to and I need to review the strategy with you."

"Are we being monitored?"  Lionel asked.

"Of course we are.  Eckhart's got the entire building wired."  Warren replied.  "He will undoubtedly drop in on the little gathering we just left in suspended animation- one of Adam's little inventions he calls 'stasis'- which will leave us with a little time to discuss things in private."  Warren held up a pen-like device and pointed it around the room.  When an LED lit up and he rapidly pressed a button on the pen until the small light went out.  Lex counted 35 repetitions of this exercise until the Mr. Warren pointed the device around and got no signal. 

 "We're clean."  Warren told Lionel Luthor, after he had finished deactivating the bugs.

******

Mr. Queu/Eckhart sat pensively on one of the cots in the holding cell, head tilted back against the wall, eyes closed, appearing to nap.  Helen Bryce had revived quickly.  The group went back to training the three new Mutants born of meteor rock and to debating whether or not Brennan and Jesse should use their New Mutant powers.  He and Adam had determined that for the moment, there was nothing that could be done with the Tribunal's Controller.  Queu/Eckhart intertwined his fingers, making the sub-dermal contacts he had implanted in himself match up with the sequence intended to access the building security. The back of his head touched the final contact with the holographic program that was imbedded in the wall.  A splash of green exploded in his mind.  Focusing on Lionel's cell, he found that the holo-receptors had been been neutralized, but he could still access the hidden security cameras.

******

"Now,"  Lionel turned to Lex and looked him in the eye.  "You're going to admit that you planted the meteor rock products on LuthorCorp property…."

"But…"  Lex protested.

"You funded your scientist friend, Mr. Queu to create meteor rock derivatives for experimental purposes, targeted for human consumption."  Lionel's eyes were cold, hard and accusing. "You're fraternizing with employees, Lex.  That is a sign of weakness.  The man is undoubtedly milking you for whatever he can."  He sneered.

Lex stood up and glowered at his father.  "Not true.  I have nothing to do with Meteor rock products.  And as for Queu, he's been far more forthcoming with me than Mr. Frank Rose has been with you."

Lionel frowned at his son.  "Regardless, he's not family.  You cannot trust him.  Trust no one or you'll lose control of the situation."

Lex smiled ruefully.  "Trust and control.  That message is the only thing you and he has in common.  Queu has been more like a father to me in these past couple months than you ever will be.  He might not lay his life on the line for me, but you're telling me to lie and to risk my life to cover your ass?"

Lionel's gaze softened.  "Of course not, Lex.  I'm simply telling you, son, that if I'm found guilty, you will serve the same sentence as me.  If I am acquitted then I will be in a better position to save you."

Lex snorted in derision.  "Am I supposed to believe that?"

"It's true," Mr. Warren replied. "The Tribunal strongly believes in visiting the sins of the father upon the children."  He smirked at the Luthors.  Lex noted the unmistakable glint in his father's eyes as Lionel stared at Mr. Warren.  Unexpectedly, Lionel smiled and nodded.

Lex smiled gravely back.  "And suppose the Tribunal doesn't buy into this, who's going to bail us out?

Mr. Warren smiled evilly.  "Perhaps Mutant X will buy you time.  Your friend, Adam had been previously sentenced, but he escaped before serving it.  Now with Adam and all of his outlaw band in stasis now, I certainly intend on pushing for Adam's sentence to be carried out before yours."

Lex looked at his father.  Lionel was pacing slowly, apparently lost in thought.  Lex knew that to be a sign of another devious plan at work.

"So Warren," Lionel said easily, "Who is this Mutant X and Adam that you are so eager to, ahem, sentence?"

Mr. Warren looked sneeringly at Lex.  "Looks like your son got in with a band of lawbreaking renegades led by Adam Kane.  His little band of outlaws consist of  Shalimar Fox, Jesse Kilmartin, Brennan Mulwray, and Emma DeLauro."  He paused at the surprised expression on Lex's face.  

Lionel turned to Lex and continued in an oily voice, "You seem surprised, Lex.  Are these the people that you were recently confined with?"

Lex looked warily at his father.  He was acting a little too smug.  However, he could see no reason not to disclose what Mr. Warren already knew.  "Yeah, I met these people but they were introduced to me with different last names."

"Oh, aliases."  Lionel seemed amused.  "So how were they introduced to you?  Do you remember exactly what Adam said?" 

Lex studied the older man suspiciously.    Something didn't quite match up.  Why was he so interested in a group of strangers unless…. "Yeah," Lex answered.  "Adam said,  'I presume that you've already met Ms. Shalimar Hunt.  She and her colleagues, Emma Wise, Brennan Voltaire, and Jesse Wall flew in to brief you and your father that LuthorCorp and LexCorp have been scrutinized by a group of fanatical albeit powerful vigilantes who call themselves the Tribunal.'"  Lex watched his father's eyes widen with comprehension and excitement.  Lex's eyes had a grim smile.  So he and Queu had been right all along in their suspicions.

Lex opened his mouth to ask a question, when Lionel said simply, "Son, just trust me on this."  Heart sinking into his stomach, Lex swallowed and nodded mutely.  He listened intently as his father and the defense counsel set up their strategy.

******

Mr. Queu/Eckhart yawned and opened his eyes.  Blinking sleepily, he looked around.  Living in the enemy's camp, right under their noses had been an educational, invigorating experience.  Now it seemed that there were unexpected factors in the equation.  The three ladies, Lana, Dr. Bryce and Chloe were not supposed to have developed powers.  The sickly Clark Kent had a few surprises up his sleeve as well.  He was not surprised that Defense Counsel Warren had cultivated an alliance with Lionel Luthor.  He had expected that, but for Mr. Warren to have invaded the security system and to put them into stasis—ah well, it could have been worse.  This little tactic just served to tip Warren's hand.  The man was too impatient.  That might cost him.  Mr. Queu smiled. Actually, it would.


	15. Perspective

Ch 15  Perspective

A/N- Thank you again for your faithful reviews and critiques.  You know, I had meant to finish this a couple chapters ago, but it won't let me!  This story doesn't want to end!  I have the ending all planned out, it's the getting to it in a logical manner that's the problem.  I'll have to have a good talk with my muse.  

Goldstranger, I should have been using stream of consciousness to clarify some of the turns and twists much earlier.  Hope this clears up some questions.  Ginger, I agree. I do need to work more on my character and scene descriptions.  It's a work in progress so please bear with me.  Hope this chapter is better.  BrennanMulwray, Loveconquers, EOG and Louise - thanks for the continued reviews and encouragement.  It keeps me motivated.  MW- you KNOW that I'd never _permanently kill off our favorite character, in fact, if the show wanted to bring him back, they have at least 2 loopholes with which to do it …. ; )  Let's hear it for our poor 'departed' friends…..  Season 4 YAYYY!!!_

BWAHAHAHAHA…..

************* 

Mr. Queu/Eckhart blinked slowly and smiled to himself upon awakening from his 'nap'.  He had enjoyed exercising aspects of his self that he hadn't tapped into since Adam had destroyed his immune system nearly 15 years ago.  Six months in stasis had brought everything into perspective.  He needed to play; he needed to unwrap his unique gifts and more than ever, he needed to stop Adam.

Although for years after Incident X, Mason Eckhart had been aware of his own giftedness, he had been too preoccupied with the more pressing matters of running Genomex in his immune-compromised state to actually do anything with it.  Freed from the confines of the stasis pod, Eckhart searched meticulously through endless files linked to Adam Kane and discovered the amazing connection between his nemesis and Lionel Luthor hidden underneath years and endless reams of encoded data.  As an added bonus, he found some fascinating meteor rock research data linked to Lionel Luthor.  He now had another case for the Tribunal to pursue.  He hoped they wouldn't bungle this one too.

The Tribunal's arrest of Lionel Luthor, as Eckhart had expected, had brought Adam Kane to the rescue.  It was too bad that the Tribunal had a bad habit of not following through all of his recommendations.  If they had, Adam and Mutant X would have been tried and executed months ago, there would have been no survivors from the Double Helix crash, and Lex Luthor would not be on trial with his father today. 

Eckhart's first attempt to bring Adam down failed when that self-important band of wealthy idiots, the Tribunal, failed to carry out his plan as he had originally outlined it months ago.  They had chosen to arrest only Adam and ignore Adam's followers. Idiots.  Eckhart mentally shook his head.  The Tribunal had all the resources needed to take this band of renegades down once and for all.  He gave the Tribunal a second chance when he gave them the Helix's trajectory and coordinates, resulting in the Double-Helix being shot out of the sky by Tribunal armed forces.  Too arrogant to follow through and finish what they started, the Tribunal forces left Mutant X for dead.  The rest was history.  Well, he still had use for this head-strong group of rich boys and their toys. It was a good thing they had agreed to making Eckhart the prosecutor for the Luthor case.  Eckhart, disguised as Lex Luthor's Chief of Research, Mr. Queu, had located the parties of interest and the Tribunal forces captured them.  Disguised as Mr. Queu, Mason Eckhart was able to live right under their noses without them being the wiser.  With the cybernetic interface that he had created for this facility, nothing would escape his notice.  And if the Tribunal couldn't carry out something as simple as the execution of Adam Kane and Lionel Luthor, then perhaps it was time for him to arrange for this illustrious group to be terminated.

Queu/Eckhart reflected.  During his job interview, Lex had unexpectedly seen through his disguise, acknowledged and perversely accepted him, a masked man, into his employ.  That action intrigued Eckhart.  He knew then that Lex already had acquired valuable  information about him.  The younger Luthor's unexpected acceptance of him made him wonder where he fell into Lex Luthor's plans to undermine his father.  He wondered if Lex had drawn the connection between his unmasked face, which he revealed briefly 3 months ago during his interview, and the holographic image of Mason Eckhart.  He remembered Lex's thoughtful expression and the quick glance his way when Lex viewed the hologram for the first time a couple hours ago.  Then Mr. Warren made his unexpected appearance moments later, the events that followed his appearance would have prevented any further contemplation of his identity.  

Eckhart sighed mentally.  Lex Luthor, he thought.  The young man was much like himself at that age, highly intelligent and charismatic, a man with a mission.  Would he become protégé or opponent, he wondered.  Was there, like himself, some major mishap  in store for Lex; something that would destroy his trust and compassion?  For now, Lex Luthor was a young man worthy of his protection and tutelage.   It was corrupting influences like Lionel Luthor, Adam and Mutant X that had to be stopped.  

Queu/Eckhart sensed someone near him.  Opening his eyes, he turned his head with an inquiring look and found Clark Kent sitting on the cot adjacent to his leaning back against the wall, knees pushed up against his chest, hands clasped together in imitation of his own posture.  The hazel-eyed youth was studying him with a mixture of puzzlement and curiosity.  Mr. Queu raised an eyebrow.

"Well?"  he asked in a voice momentarily lower than Queu's normal tone.

Clark hesitated, not wanting to start out with an accusation, not wanting to deny what his x-ray vision had just shown him.

"Um, Mr. Queu," he said hesitantly, noticing that Lex's researcher had bore a slight resemblance to Albert Einstein.

"Yes," the grey-haired man's dark eyes studied him intently.

Clark took a deep breath.  "Are you a Mutant?"  he asked.  Mr Queu cocked his head at Clark and smiled an unbelieving smile.

"No.  What makes you ask a question like that?" Queu responded, yet something about his manner had become defensive.  Clark understood that manner all too personally. 

Not wanting to offend the man, Clark continued, "What if a person was wired inside, you know, like a machine, with contacts along the fingers, the spine, the back of the neck?  Do you know of technology like that?"  

Mr. Queu/Eckhart looked thoughtful and rubbed the back of his neck where the interface node disguised as a sub-dermal governor was imbedded.  He stared at the younger man trying to read something in his expression and body language, then leaned forward intently. "I might have heard of something like that," he replied, his dark gaze holding Clark's,  "Young Mr. Kent, what laws of physics are defied when a person can move within a stasis field, see through walls and emit a heat ray?  Do they teach that kind of stuff to you kids in school?"  As Clark's greenish eyes widened, the gray haired man nodded slowly.  "Some questions are best left unanswered, don't you agree?"  He half-whispered.

Clark nodded, unconvinced then eyes betraying his alarm added, "What about Lex?"

"Sometimes ignorance is indeed bliss, Mr. Kent."  Mr. Queu replied, glancing quickly away at the sound of approaching footsteps.  Clark's thoughts flew.  Here was a man like himself with exceptional gifts, close to Lex Luthor, yet as secretive as himself where Lex was concerned.  Perhaps it was wise after all not to reveal too much to his likeable millionaire friend.

Adam stood before them, his black business suit looking worn and unkempt.  The tall dark-haired scientist had bags under his eyes and worry set his mouth in a grim line.

"I hate to disturb your conversation," he acknowledged Queu with a brief nod, "but I need to pull Clark into one of the strategy groups."

"Is there anything I can do," Dr. Kane?"  Queu asked, standing now.  "Where young Mr. Luthor is concerned, I will spare no effort in recovering him."

"That goes for me too," Clark replied.  "Lex is my best friend."

Adam's gaze softened a little.  "Mr. Queu, I have some thoughts on where to put you.  You may call me Adam, if you wish."  He looked the older man over appraisingly.  "Can you fight?"

Mr. Queu looked down at his own thin frame, clad in laboratory white.  Looking up at Adam, Queu answered in his best British accent, "I am barely in league with those young ladies over there, Dr. Kane.  Have you considered negotiation?"

"There is no room for negotiation," Adam replied seriously. "The Tribunal, Warren and Eckhart have all of us where they want us.  Despite their opposing stances as Defense and Prosecutor, they both undoubtedly intend to kill us all after they finish playing their games.  That is where we intend to make our move."  Adam replied gravely.

"Indeed!"  Mr. Queu was all interest.

*** ****** *

Lex sat strapped down to a metal chair under an intense spotlight as he faced the Tribunal panel.  Three pale faces suspended above him in the balcony gazed down upon him without emotion.  Sweat poured off Lex's head as he waited for the Defense and Prosecutor to face off.  Lionel stared hard at him from his place by the Counsel's side, his expression forbidding him to stray from the plan that they had prepared earlier.

Mr. Eckhart, the Prosecutor approached Lex.  His shoulder-length, white hair rippled with every turn of his head; his pale complexion contrasted sharply with the long black robes he wore, giving him an austere expression. His gaze never left Lex as he towered over him, pacing restlessly, scrutinizing the younger man for signs of fear or weakness.   Lex stared back stonily, comparing Eckhart's pale face with its intense, haunting gaze with all the other faces he had memorized.  A moment later, Lex, stunned at the similarity between his memory of the emaciated countenance of the unmasked Queu and the powerful one that gazed down at him, blinked and gazed warily at Eckhart.  Mason Eckhart nodded slightly, in a way that Lex found unnervingly familiar.  He raised an eyebrow in return, keeping his face expressionless.  This man couldn't be Queu.  The older man was with the others.  This one was either a twin to his esteemed Chief of Research, or another hologram….  Queu's doing?  Lex was intrigued at the thought. 

"Is this your device, Mr. Lex Luthor?"  Eckhart asked gently, holding a small device in his black-gloved hand.  Lex looked at the cell phone that Mr. Queu had made for him.

"May I look at it?"  Lex asked, wondering if the phone was an illusion too.  The white-haired man nodded and released the band restraining Lex' right arm.   Lex reached for the small phone and 'accidentally' knocked it from the Prosecutor's hand.  "I'm sorry," Lex apologized, his blue eyes calculating.  Eckhart deftly recovered the phone with his other hand.  He scowled at Lex, and then forcibly pressed the device into Lex's hand.  Lex looked down at the phone, deciding that the man towering over him was not a hologram, and wondered about Queu, left back in the holding cell.  Lex one-handedly opened the phone and examined it.  His photographic memory verified that everything was in place.  He pressed a playback button and replayed the phone threat.

"Would you care to play that back again, young Mr. Luthor?"  The Prosecutor asked, looking mockingly at the Defense Counsel, Mr. Warren.  Lex kept his gaze fixed on the phone, but inwardly started at the familiarity of the address.  It could have been Queu with a much lower voice speaking; the intonation and inflection were the same.

Mr. Warren had already stood up and shouted, "Objection.  This is irrelevant to the case."

"I believe that any interaction between the subject of the investigation and his Counsel is relevant to the investigation.  The voice recorded here is yours, is it not?"  The Prosecutor said accusingly.

The gavel pounded loudly.  "Sustained.  Keep your line of questioning directed to the subject, Mr. Eckhart."  The Chief Justice commanded sternly.  Eckhart challenged the Chief Justice with a prolonged stare over his dark-framed glasses, then heaved a sigh.  

"Very well, then.  Mr. Alexander Luthor, is it not true that you have agreed at the bidding of the Defense Counsel and your father to give false testimony at this hearing?"  Eckhart asked pointedly.

The chamber suddenly went wild with murmurs of speculation from the Tribunal and the few guests that sat hidden in the shadows.  Lex stared hard at the white-haired prosecutor.  How could he have possibly known?  As Lex opened his mouth to answer, Mr. Warren leaped out of his chair shouting "Objection, your Honor.  Conjecture!  The Prosecutor is leading the witness, your Honor!"  

"Order!"  The Chief Justice pounded the gavel on the podium several times and frowned angrily at the Prosecutor.  After the murmurs and buzzing conversations had stopped, the Tribunal put their heads together for a moment.

**** **** ****

Queu/Eckhart had been monitoring the trial from another part of the building.  He fine-tuned into the private conversation of the Tribunal.

"He hasn't come out and said it, but I think Eckhart is trying to acquit the son of Luthor."  "The man is making a mockery of our trial with his insinuations of our employee, Mr. Warren."

"We will not allow this outsider to have his way.  While his goals and ours were the same, we could afford to be magnanimous and allow him to think he was controlling the trial."

"What about Mr. Warren?  He has to defend that which he wanted to Prosecute."

"If Mr. Warren succeeds in getting Lex Luthor to lie at the request of the father, we will have all the justification we need in condemning both Luthors; and if Lex Luthor does not give the fabricated story, he has condemned his father to death and a son like that doesn't deserve to live."  The three men smiled evilly. 

Inside the holding cell, Mr. Queu paced thoughtfully.  They thought they had played him for a fool.  This little group of self appointed god lets had been useful while they played according to his rules.  It was obvious that he would have to take Adam down another time; in fact, some Tribunal files that he had recently decrypted indicated that Adam might still be of use to him, not that he needed him.  And then there was this fellow, Nicholas Fox, Shalimar's father, who might be of service…. 

It was time to take out the Tribunal, and what better way than to allow Mutant X to do it.  MutantX would save Lex because they had befriended him; no, Lex would somehow survive this with or without MutantX.  Eckhart would leave him his encrypted legacy, just as Adam had left him his almost 2 decades ago.  If Lex succeeded in decoding the information he'd leave about Lionel Luthor and his holographic system, Lex would become extremely powerful.  Eckhart looked forward to a future meeting with Lex Luthor.  

Adam would save his old friend, Lionel Luthor.  Queu/Eckhart shook his head, bemused.  He found it difficult to imagine his old friend-now arch-enemy, Adam Kane allied with the likes of Lionel Luthor.  He shrugged.  Life certainly dealt strange hands.

*********** 

"Sustained."  The gavel came down with a decisive blow.  Mr. Warren grinned victoriously.  Lionel nodded approvingly.  Lex looked up at the tall, powerful figure next to him.

"Your Honors," Eckhart said in a calm, reasonable voice.  "I simply wished to build a foolproof argument that would indict Mr. Lionel Luthor beyond reasonable doubt in accordance with the wishes of the Tribunal.  The testimony of young Mr. Luthor would accomplish that."

"The Prosecutor may approach this bench."  The Chief Justice said.

Eckhart approached the bench of the Chief Justice.  The light glinted harshly on his formidable countenance as he gazed down at the Prosecutor.   "It is the assessment of the Tribunal that you are trying to protect the son, contrary to the will of the Tribunal.  We advise you to stick to the job for which you have been hired."  The Chief Justice spoke severely.  

Mr. Eckhart stared darkly at the Justice without responding.  Suddenly he shrugged briefly, as if he had come to a decision.

"Have it your way then," he said lightly.

************** 

The holding cell that held MutantX and the small group of Smallville residents suddenly lost its faint source of light.  In the blackness, Shalimar whimpered in pain then growled in frustration as she tried to use her Feral night vision only to be delivered a painful shock from the subdermal governor for her effort.  Clark looked around carefully using his x-ray vision.  Everyone was there except Queu.  A hand grasped his right forearm.  Clark hissed in surprise.  Despite his xray vision, in the blinding darkness, he couldn't see who was holding his arm.

"Who's there?"  he half-whispered.  Clark relaxed slightly as Queu's familiar voice chuckled amusedly,   "It's just me, Mr. Kent."  Clark stared narrowly toward the voice in the pitch blackness.  Despite Mr. Queu's hand on his arm, Clark couldn't see the skeletal signs from the man that he had observed a half hour ago.

"You're full of surprises, Mr. Queu."  Clark said quietly so the others couldn't hear.

He could feel the man's breath as he replied in his ear, "You're very perceptive, young Mr. Kent."  

There was a loud clicking noise somewhere in the basement and the light came back on.  Clark gazed sharply at the older man, utilizing his x-ray vision.  Still, he could see nothing.  It was as if the man had suddenly turned into a hologram.  Clark looked at his arm, remembering the firm grasp.  No hologram could do that, could it?  Was he human?

************* 

In an immaculate, Spartan room somewhere else in the building, a tall, wiry, grey-haired man in a white lab coat smiled then carefully peeled the mask from his head, exposing paler, leaner features and short, brown wavy hair.  The man looked up slowly and closed his eyes.  Safe in his private sanctuary, Mason Eckhart relaxed and sighed as if to shed the last several hours from his presence.  As he renewed the protective bio-membrane on his body, he studied the activities of Adam, Lex and friends from a bank of monitors that displayed three views of activities in the holding cell along with three different views of the Tribunal chambers through the eyes of his holographic servants.  Eckhart reflected.

Clark Kent had certainly turned into a surprise.  He was obviously a Meteor Rock Mutant like his friend Lex, but with vastly different powers.  What a team they could be!  

Eckhart glanced at a selection of garments that hung neatly on the nearby rack and exchanged his lab coat for a black, business casual attire that would match his dark, short-cropped hair.  

Clark and Lex were like brothers, raised in totally different environments. They were kindred spirits, compassionate and generous while jealously guarding his own secrets. Lex fought against becoming like his father while secretly longing for his father's approval.  Eckhart had observed the epic father-son conflict close up as Queu.  He wondered if Lionel Luthor had already won.  It was all too clear to Mason Eckhart that Lex was an extremely complex individual; while he exhibited kindness and compassion, each action was calculated beforehand for its potential value and outcome, just as Lionel would do.  Like his father, Lex was motivated by his intellect and his need to control, while Clark was motivated by his heart.  Eckhart smiled wryly.  How so much like him and Adam.  He shook his head, amused. Both young men had secrets that they kept from each other.  He wondered if these secrets would later drive the two friends apart.

 With a movement of a wired finger, Eckhart tuned in to the computer interface one more time and called up the address of Naxcon, photographs and profile of Shalimar Fox's father, and the layout of his small business.  As he digested and memorized the information, Eckhart smiled.  With a couple short movements of his wired hands, he sent his final instructions to his holographic servants and then he wiped the databases.

****************** 

In the holding cell, Clark was feeling stronger, despite his close proximity to his meteor rock-contaminated friends.  

"Hey kid, uh, Clark," Frank Thorne called quietly.  "Can you try to deactivate this thing again?  I have a feeling you don't need your pocket-knife to do it.  I won't tell anyone."  Clark looked warily at Lana, Chloe and Dr. Bryce who were still working with the Emma, Shalimar and Brennan several feet away.  Thorne looked at them and a look of understanding swept over his face.  He looked questioningly at Mr. Queu, who was perched on one of the cot-tables, gazing at the training group, but obviously lost in thought.  Clark looked down.  He still didn't know what to make of Lex's employee.

"I think with all of our lives on the line, secrecy shouldn't matter much any more," Thorne said gruffly.

Adam appeared from behind them.  "We're not at that point yet, Frank."  He said quietly.  "Leave him alone."  Frank Thorne stood up to Adam for a moment, then thought better of it.  

"I hope you're right, Kane." He mumbled as he rejoined Emma and Helen Bryce.  Lana glanced over toward Clark and excused herself as she headed his way.

Adam gently clapped Clark on the shoulder.  "I understand your fear that what you did before may have been a lucky shot, and that you don't want to chance hurting anyone, but keep this in mind Clark, you may be our only chance to free those people from the Controllers and save this mission."

"Adam," Jesse who was standing nearest to the elevator pointed.  "Trouble."

The elevator door opened.  About 15 Tribunal soldiers marched in, guns pointed.  Jesse was flung back into the cell with the others.  All activity in the holding cell stopped as the commander singled out Adam.  

"NO!"  Clark stood between Adam and the soldiers to shield him.  Lana grasped Clark's arm and tried to pull him away.  Clark slumped as his body weakened at the close proximity of meteor rock in Lana's touch.  At that moment, one of the Tribunal soldiers raised his gun and shot Clark in the shoulder.  Clark collapsed in pain.  The group started to move toward Clark and the commander snapped, "That was a warning.  If anyone else resists, they too will be shot."  Clark lay there with tears welling in his eyes from the bullet wound in his shoulder.

Adam signaled his people to stand down.  

"Adam, they're going to kill you," Shalimar protested.

"They're going to kill all of us, one by one," Mr. Queu said softly.

"Then I'll do my best to dissuade them," Adam replied quietly.  "You people do what you're trained to do."

The tall, dark-haired scientist straightened his rumpled black suit and ran his hands through his short wavy hair.  He nodded calmly as the group of soldiers closed ranks behind him and the elevator door slammed shut.


	16. Exit

Chapter 16 - Exit  
  
As the elevator door closed, bedlam broke loose as everyone tried to help Clark. Lana, who was closest, was instantly at Clark's side.  
  
"Clark, are you all right?" Lana cried. Clark smiled weakly and winced as he tried to sit up. Dr. Bryce knelt by him and Clark, struck by a wave of meteor rock-induced exhaustion, fell back.  
  
"Give him room," Dr. Bryce ordered, waving everyone back. The dark-haired doctor quickly unbuttoned Clark's shirt and peeled back the side that was stained with blood. Lana and Chloe blinked in surprise at Clark's well muscled form. Shalimar smirked and winked at Clark when he blushed at the attention from his classmates.  
  
"Clark, this is going to hurt, but I need to extract the bullet and there obviously are no surgical tools." Dr. Bryce said. "I'm going to apply pressure and probe to see if it's close enough to the surface." She quickly placed her hands over the injured area and pressed. Clark cried out in pain. Frowning, she palpated gently, increasing the intensity of the probing. Suddenly her hands emitted a greenish glow that spread over Clark's chest. Clark's eyes widened in pain as the greenish skin started to vein and tighten. He let out a strangled cry.  
  
"What are you doing to him!" Chloe exclaimed.  
  
"Stop it, you're hurting him!" Lana demanded.  
  
The beautiful brunette immediately pulled her hands away and stepped back. Looking at her hands, Dr Bryce shook her head. "I'm not sure what just happened. I was palpating for the bullet, hoping to push it out of his body and suddenly my hands created this green force field."  
  
"Look!" Jesse exclaimed softly. "His body is rejecting the bullet, just like yours did, Doctor." Clark lay on the floor, his eyes closed. The greenish glow had subsided and as everyone watched, the bullet worked its way to the surface then dropped onto the floor with a little clatter. The wound then healed itself.  
  
"Nicely done," Mr. Queu said to the amazed doctor.  
  
"Looks like you projected your self-healing abilities to Clark." Emma commented.  
  
"Hey man, how are you feeling?" Brennan asked Clark.  
  
"Better." The lanky youth replied, rolling onto his feet with a rueful grin. A small, circular, metallic plate with a probe extension clattered onto the floor.  
  
"Looks like that's not all his body rejected," Shalimar looked enviously at Clark as she touched the governor that was still implanted in the back of her neck.  
  
Clark buttoned his shirt. "Thanks, doc," he said, fingering the blood stained hole in his shirt, certain that her meteor rock induced force field had nothing to do with his body healing itself.  
  
"OK. It's time for us to kick some Tribunal butt." Brennan said seriously. "Jesse, Lana, and the Doc are going to pool their super strength to open the elevator door. Once inside, Frank and Jesse will see what they can figure out about getting a ride to the Tribunal. Jesse will put off using his powers until the last possible minute. In the likely event that the Controllers get activated, he may only have one shot at phasing or massing. I will use my first shot to free Frank from the sub- dermal governor."  
  
Frank half-grinned and nodded. Brennan continued. "He will also have potentially one chance to use his powers. I figure that if he and Chloe use their telekinetics together, they can create the most damage and disrupt the Tribunal defense. The rest of you will probably be seeing hand to hand fighting. Remember that those soldiers carry guns and cannons and they don't take no for an answer." Clark nodded ruefully. "Any second wave of defense or offense should be smaller. Frank will have to ride that one out in the telekinetic sense; Chloe should be able to handle it alone. Mr. Queu, do you have any thoughts on removing or disabling the Controllers?"  
  
Mr. Queu, standing with Clark near the back of the room looked at Brennan gravely. "As you know, Dr. Kane and I discussed the possible ways of disabling these little fellows. They are imbedded in a certain part of the brain as opposed to the spinal cord and may not respond favorably to electrical pulses as do the sub-dermal governors. I would consider attempting focused heat as a possible solution. Unfortunately, I see only one source of heat that will do us no good, for using it would deprive us of light."  
  
"The light fixture," Shalimar commented softly. "If you pulled the light fixture off to use the wires to generate the heat you need, then there would be no light with which to try the operation."  
  
"You'd have to be able to see in the dark to even think of pulling this off." Dr. Bryce stated. Frank, Jesse, Brennan and Emma looked at Shalimar, who raised her eyebrows innocently then shrugged sweetly.  
  
"That could change things." Shalimar said. "Brennan would have to deactivate my sub-dermal governor first. I could perform this operation in the dark and see if we can free Brennan from the controller, then he could free the rest of us from the sub-dermal governors. After all, why should the meteor rock Mutants have all the fun" the blond woman declared with a toss of her golden mane of hair.  
  
"The question is- will the heat from the wires be hot enough and focused enough to do the job?" Mr. Queu reminded them. "It may be better strategically to stay with the first plan and hope for the best."  
  
Brennan exchanged glances with Shalimar, Frank, Jesse and Emma. "He's got a good point, Brennan." Frank said. "What if overheated wires aren't enough to disable the Controller?"  
  
"Then we'll be left in the dark," Chloe said.  
  
"My dad always said you have to have faith. It'll work." Clark said, looking meaningfully at Shalimar. The golden-haired Feral smiled, knowing that under the cover of darkness, Clark would use his heat vision. Adam had been right about him after all.  
  
"OK," Brennan said, coming to a decision. "Let's open the door first. Once we have access to the elevator, we lift the ceiling panel and climb up to the next level, unless of course someone figures a way to get the elevator to carry us all upstairs."  
  
"The elevator has a dim light of its own. Once we open the doors, the light to the cell is all yours, Brennan." Jesse said. "From the information Mr. Queu, Clark and I gleaned from tapping walls and analyzing the layout of this cell, there's a good chance that where the Tribunal is holding Adam, Lex and his Father are close by, possibly on the floor above us. When our group was being taken to the elevator, it felt like we walked a circuitous mile in total blackness before being locked into the elevator. There was a definite feeling of descent after they were finished with us, so I would have to say that the show is on the floor above us."  
  
"Circuitous," Lana mumbled with a deadpan expression. Chloe elbowed her gently. "Roundabout, twisty, winding, meandering, tortuous." she explained as Lana made a face at her.  
  
"Let's get moving," Brennan told everyone.  
  
**********************  
  
Dr. Bryce and Lana dug their fingers into the metal door to create a hand hold. Together they pulled as Jesse pushed. The door slid open an inch then gave way. The three exchanged smiles and sauntered into the large elevator to check out the interior. Mr. Queu and Chloe watched from the outside.  
  
Unable to contain her natural tendency for small talk, Chloe asked, "so, Mr. Queu, how long have you been working for Lex?"  
  
The tall, thin man looked askance at the small, short-haired blond teenager. "I'd say around 3 months. He is a good man to work for."  
  
Chloe continued to watch the trio in the elevator. "Lana would certainly agree. Lex has a way of picking his employees and bringing out the best in them. My dad works for him too."  
  
"Perhaps some day, everyone will work for him," Mr. Queu said lightly. Chloe's blue eyes were thoughtful. "Somehow, I wouldn't be a bit surprised." The grey-haired scientist excused himself as Jesse signaled Brennan that they had gained access. The hologram was to observe and record what was about to go on in the darkness.  
  
*************************  
  
At Jesse's signal, Brennan, and Shalimar moved under the solitary light bulb. Shalimar looked up at Brennan and gazed deeply into his brown eyes. She touched his hand for a moment. The Elemental's dark eyes were resolute. There was no turning back. He gently pulled Shalimar's long golden mane away from the sub-dermal governor, subtly caressing her snowy white neck as he did so. Shalimar solemnly turned around so that her team mate could have a clear shot at the sub-dermal governor. Brennan carefully controlled the formation of a Tesla coil in his hand, the way he had done so many times before, measuring its intensity, feeling one-ness with it, knowing that this could be the last time. Brennan directed the small electrical arc into the circular device imbedded in Shalimar's neck. There was a small crackle as the electrical force disabled the small device that had restrained the Feral. Shalimar's eyes went from a warm brown to jungle gold. She smiled.  
  
"OK, let's take the light out," Frank said, moving closer. Shalimar's eyes flashed again momentarily as she stepped aside to let the taller people work.  
  
"Clark, can you keep these wires separate while Frank and I try to pull more of this down? Careful, they've got some juice in them." Brennan called. Soon the fixture was removed, leaving long, exposed wires and light bulb dangling at the end of them. Looking down at Shalimar, Brennan grinned. "That should low enough for you to reach, Shalimar." The short blond Feral wrinkled her nose at the Tall Elemental.  
  
"Your turn," she said. "Keep your finger on the Controller; it'll be easier for me to key in on it." Pulling the wires apart, the light bulb went out with a pop, enveloping the captives in total darkness. Shalimar's eyes turned jungle yellow as she activated her IR vision.  
  
Queu's voice floated in the thick darkness. "You'll need to cross the wires to generate the heat at the exposed wires, Miss Shalimar."  
  
"Gotcha," she said, hissing as the heat singed her fingers. She placed one hand over Brennan's hand that was marking the location of the Controller. Carefully directing the crossed wires onto the small metal cylinder, she gently applied pressure. A couple moments later Brennan hissed in pain and pulled away. Tesla arcs were forming indiscriminately at his hands and fading.  
  
"I'm not causing that," he gasped.  
  
"Oh no! I must have activated the Controller!" Shalimar gasped as the others watched them, illuminated by Brennan's sparks in the deafening darkness.  
  
"I'll hold him," Clark said joining them, turning his back to the group. "You've got to try again." Shalimar looked up at the lanky youth and held the makeshift heat pen in her hand over Brennan.  
  
"Hang on Brennan. This will work." She said. Brennan closed his eyes and tilted his head forward and to the side. He could feel Shalimar's form pressed against him as she worked on the device in his head. He felt the explosion of heat in his head. Brennan willed his hands to contain the electricity that threatened to flow like life-blood out of his body. Clark activated his heat vision and directed it like a laser into the small, metal cylinder that was imbedded in Brennan's skull. The center of the small device melted suddenly, rendering it hollow and useless. Brennan felt a surge of relief as the intense heat inside his brain went away.  
  
Brennan heaved a sigh of relief and formed an arc in his hand. "Good work, Shalimar." He nodded silently at Clark, then snapped his fingers. The arc vanished, leaving them in darkness. "Shalimar can deactivate Frank's and Jesse's controllers, and then I'll deactivate all the sub-dermal governors by the elevator." Brennan paused, silhouetted in the elevator's weak light. "Uh Clark, it would be helpful if you could hold them down while Shalimar does her operation."  
  
"That bad, eh?" Frank muttered in the darkness. Shalimar punched him gently.  
  
During Brennan's operation, unbeknownst to all, the holographic Queu had rematerialized in the darkness so that he could watch from a couple feet away. Queu nodded as he watched the Smallville farm boy. A Thermal Elemental, he relayed the information to the Master.  
  
"Mr. Queu," Brennan called, "I'll be happy to deactivate your governor for you." "Works for me," Mr. Queu said dryly. "Young Mr. Kent is fortunate that his fell out on its own."  
  
Clark felt the smooth back of his neck. "Yeah," he agreed.  
  
****************************  
  
They worked quickly. Several minutes later, Brennan, Frank, and Jesse, freed from the Tribunal's Controlling devices entered the elevator. Under its solitary, dim light, Brennan proceeded to deactivate the remaining sub- dermal governors. Emma crossed her arms and took a deep breath as she closed her mind to the sudden influx of thoughts that barraged her. Frank grinned at the sudden release of his powers. The elevator filled with people. Jesse hot wired the control panel and the elevator slowly moved up. They could see the door of the next floor approaching through the gaping entrance. Jesse worked the controls and made the elevator stop. Holding a hand up, he phased his head through the closed outer door and looked around. All was clear. The blonde Molecular phased the entire door and the group of captives quietly filed into the corridor.  
  
******************************  
  
As planned, the group broke up into 2 teams. Shalimar's eyes glowed like golden embers in the cold, polished corridor as she sniffed the air delicately and listened for sound. Pointing down one corridor, she nodded at Brennan. Brennan signaled Emma, Frank, Helen and Chloe to follow. Shalimar and Jesse took a different corridor that undoubted traversed the Tribunal Chambers. Jesse was going to take a peek at the proceedings. Emma would receive a message back from him as her team's signal to move.  
  
As Brennan's team cautiously rounded a corner, they could see 2 guards posted at the door. Emma nodded at Brennan. A ball of light emanated from her head, then she projected it at the guards. The guards immediately stood slumped against the wall.  
  
"They're in their own little world now," Emma whispered to her teammates. They opened the door and quickly slid into the darkened room. They could see the lit center, like a stage. Mr. Eckhart paced slowly as three Tribunal soldiers locked a struggling Adam into a metal chair, adjacent to the one that Lex Luthor was locked into. 


	17. Last Stand

Chapter 17 Last Stand  
  
Emma, Brennan, Frank, Helen and Chloe watched from their hidden positions as Tribunal soldiers hauled a struggling Adam into a metal chair that was positioned 2 feet away from the one that Lex was bound in. Lex watched with a bemused expression as it took three men to hold the struggling scientist in place and to force each arm and leg down against the chair in order to secure his limbs. Hidden in the background, Emma held a hand to her mouth, her eyes filled with concern as malevolent thoughts of the Tribunal and the audience filled her mind. She knew Adam was trying to buy more time for them by putting up a fight. Brennan touched her gently and motioned her to scan for Jesse's signal. Emma lifted her head; her eyes suddenly looked blank as she sent her mind outward. A moment later, she nodded toward the opposite side of the room. The other team consisting of Jesse, Shalimar, Mr. Queu, Clark and Lana had quietly phased through the wall and were waiting, spread across the back wall of the darkened room under the balcony seats.  
  
The Tribunal Head Justice stood up; his face and hands stood out pale and deathlike in the altered lighting contrast against his black robes. "Dr. Adam Kane has formerly been tried and found guilty of the charge of altering human genetics for the purposes of creating an army and disrupting human society. Although he temporarily escaped his just sentencing with the aid of his genetically altered lab experiments, he has been secured again before us, along with his partners in crime. Adam Kane's sentencing will be carried out momentarily."  
  
"At least I will have a clear conscience," Adam shouted rebelliously up at the robed figure. The soldier standing between him and Lex struck Adam's face. Adam took the blow silently, his expression a mixture of pride, anger and pain. Eckhart paced slowly past him, inspecting him silently with a triumphant look.  
  
The Chief Justice continued. "It is also the consensus of the Tribunal that Mr. Lionel Luthor has been acquitted through the effort and substantial evidence of Defense Counsel, Mr. Warren." Mr. Eckhart stopped in mid-stride, his eyes burning with anger. He turned his attention suddenly from Adam and glared at the triumphant Defense Counsel while the Chief Justice droned on. "The Defense Counsel proved beyond reasonable doubt that the criminal activity was instigated and maintained instead, by his son, Mr. Alexander Luthor. Therefore, Mr. Alexander Luthor has been found guilty of the charge of interfering with human genetics and with incriminating possession of the mutagenic materials. The sentence for such activity is death."  
  
Crouching in the darkness of the auditorium, Helen Bryce bit her lip and her eyes watered. Chloe placed a sympathetic hand on hers. Lana looked to Clark with alarm. Clark stared determinedly at Lex, and then glanced at Mr. Queu next to him. The grey-haired man was still standing watching the proceedings intently, his eyebrows furrowed. Across the room, Lionel Luthor couldn't help but feel a stab of alarm as he heard the death sentence passed on his son. Defense Counsel Warren was grinning broadly. Lionel looked around discretely for signs of Adam's people but couldn't see anything in the black background. Lionel noticed how his son sat calmly, almost regally, betraying no emotion and nodded in approval.  
  
"Mr. Warren, how is Lex to be acquitted?"  
  
The stocky man stared at Lionel in arrogant surprise. "I never promised an acquittal, Lionel. You were the one who told Lex to trust you, that you would take care of everything—or were you relying on your friend Adam Kane to bail you out," the man spat, his grey eyes filled with hatred. "I performed my end of the bargain and got you acquitted. Now it's time for you to pay up. It's your show now, Mr. Luthor," he said, contempt dripping from his voice.  
  
Lionel stared at the Defense Counsel, carefully hiding his disbelief. A team of soldiers approached Lex and Adam with a portable IV apparatus. The bags of liquid dangled and swung on the IV rack were a murky yellow. Lex felt a shudder of revulsion run through his body. He had suspected that this was how the trial was going to end. The deck had been stacked against him by his father. Yeah, trust me on this, he had said. Lex shot a reproachful look at his father. He wondered if and how his father was planning to intervene on his behalf, and if his friends would escape their fate.  
  
"I wish to approach the bench," Eckhart said loudly in a strong voice.  
  
"Request denied. The Tribunal has made its decision in all fairness and justice. The sentence will be carried out momentarily," the Chief Justice replied. Eckhart studied Lex's impassive face, and then glanced at the bored face of the Chief justice. He stepped toward the Chief Justice anyways.  
  
"I was assigned to Prosecute Mr. Lionel Luthor, friend of Adam Kane. How much did he pay you out to rule against the incontrovertible evidence that I presented?" Eckhart thundered. Emma and Brennan looked at each other. Eckhart was putting himself in a precarious position with the fickle Tribunal by challenging them. Was Eckhart trying to defend Lex? What did he want with Lex Luthor?  
  
"You are jeopardizing your standing, Mr. Prosecutor." The Justice warned.  
  
"Your Honors are sentencing the wrong Luthor," Eckhart replied. The hidden audience murmured in surprise.  
  
"Your opinion has been noted. Step down, Mr. Prosecutor." The pale face of the Chief Justice frowned down at the pale, white-haired man who was dressed as one of them. When Eckhart refused to move, two Tribunal soldiers approached from either side to escort him away. Lionel watched the scene unfold and raised an eyebrow. The white-haired man was creating a diversion! Wasn't he the enemy? Why was he trying to save Lex? Lionel stared at white-haired man thoughtfully while he worked to free himself from the handcuffs that bound his wrists together.  
  
As the soldiers respectfully stood at either side of the Prosecutor, Mr. Eckhart suddenly stared across the room into the darkness where Jesse and Shalimar's group were positioned. The group crouched in the dark, hoping to remain undetected. Mr. Queu remained standing despite Clark's attempt to grab his arm and pull him back. The tall gray-haired man sedately walked out from under the balcony seats into the outer edge of the lit area, stopping about 10 feet away from Mr. Eckhart. Lex and Adam craned their heads to see what everyone was looking at. Eckhart inspected Queu with a deadpan expression. After a moment, he said "I wasn't expecting a visit from you, Brother."  
  
"Security!" The Chief Justice called. Two additional guards instantly flanked Mr. Queu.  
  
Lex studied the two men with interest. He could see almost no physical resemblance between the ruddy-faced Queu and the ghostly Mason Eckhart, but he knew beneath Queu's mask was a face that was very much Eckhart's. "Twins," he thought.  
  
Adam's eyes widened with interest. He knew that Mason Eckhart had a twin brother who had died in childhood, but had never known the man to esteem another enough to openly address him as Brother. A look of realization and suspicion crossed Adam's face; his coal-black eyes glittered as he defocused them for a moment, and then directed his defocused gazed at the two men who stood a few feet away from him and Lex. He exclaimed softly, "I should have known. He's a hologram!"  
  
Lex stared sharply at Adam. "For a hologram, Mr. Prosecutor is pretty substantial and sentient."  
  
Adam smiled ruefully. "Eckhart undoubtedly 'borrowed' my technology in order to give substance to his holograms. I developed holograms with mass and substance for special combat and situational training for my people. I have to give credit to Eckhart's programmer. Whoever created his interactive program did an amazing job." Lex digested the information thoughtfully and looked questioningly at Adam.  
  
"Hm. Substantial holograms and New Mutants- any chance that the charges trumped up against you were true- training up Mutants to fight sounds pretty aggressive," Lex commented.  
  
Adam shook his head. "Mutants have to learn to defend themselves against the likes of Eckhart and the Tribunal."  
  
"How can you tell he's a hologram?"  
  
"It's something I built into my program, like a copyright mark," Adam answered evasively, glancing across the room at Lionel. Adam had built fractal images into his technology so that that if he defocused his eyes, he could see an 'x' superimposed on the hologram. He could see a huge 'X' superimposed over the images of both Eckhart and Mr. Queu. Adam shook his head gravely. He should have known. He wondered if Queu represented Eckhart's idea of what his twin brother would have looked like, had he lived. He wondered how much of Eckhart's twisted personality and dreams were built into the Queu character. If this image was aligned with the Eckhart hologram, there would be very little of their strategy that Eckhart didn't know by now. Eckhart was undoubtedly playing cat and mouse with him.  
  
Adam stared at the hologram of Mason Eckhart with a mixed expression of curiosity and defiance. This was Eckhart's proxy, his stand-in.  
  
The Chief Justice pounded his gavel loudly. "Mr. Prosecutor, you have overstepped your bounds. Security, restrain Mr. Prosecutor and the intruder." As soldiers grasped their arms to usher them to the side, the Justice continued, "And begin administering the lethal injection to both Dr. Kane and Mr. Alexander Luthor."  
  
Eckhart returned Adam's defiant gaze with a watchful, calculating expression as the guards ushered him away. "It's your move, ADam," he said.  
  
Off to the side, he commented calmly to Mr. Queu, "so, Brother, it would appear that the Tribunal has failed to meet our objectives. We will have to permit Mutant X to carry out our sentence on the Tribunal."  
  
"The younger Luthor should receive our legacy, if he is to prevail beyond us." Queu replied. Eckhart pulled the phone out of his pocket and examined it before handing it to Queu.  
  
"It begins." Queu added matter of factly, jerking his head toward the execution chairs.  
  
As Eckhart followed Queu's gaze, two sudden bolts of electricity blew the restraining bands off Lex and Adam's arms, followed by two more bolts that exploded the deadly bags of poison that dangled from the IV apparatus above them.  
  
"They did that the last time," Eckhart said, stifling a yawn.  
  
Chaos broke loose as the three Justices vacated their positions. Spectators and the Tribunal soldiers ran across the spectacle area. Chloe and Frank Thorne targeted the heaviest concentration of Tribunal troops and sent them flying against the walls, clearing the way as Brennan and Dr. Bryce raced to the center of the stage where Adam and Lex were trying to free their legs from the restraints. Helen savagely tore at the restraints that held Lex's ankles to the chair with her bare hands, while Brennan aimed a second bolt at Adam's restraints and blew them off.  
  
"Lex, I can't remove them!" Helen gasped. "My powers are gone!"  
  
"Allow me, Dr. Bryce," Mr. Queu suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He looked gravely at Lex then barehanded, ripped the restraints off. "You must have tapped out your reserve, saving Mr. Kent." The older man commented, brushing his wild, gray hair out of his face.  
  
"I didn't know you could do that, Queu." Lex remarked, his blue eyes reassessing his Chief of Research.  
  
"There's much to learn, young Mr. Luthor," Queu replied, straightening his lean, six foot frame as people ran helter-skelter past them. Gunfire made loud popping sounds nearby. "Don't you agree, ADam?"  
  
Adam gave Queu an unfocused stare and saw the holographic mark on the white- clad man who now stood by Lex. Queu nodded gravely at Adam then looked back at Eckhart who stood alone a few feet away, watching them.  
  
"I know what you are, Mr. Queu." Adam said softly.  
  
"It certainly took you long enough," Queu gently chided. Turning to Lex, he said, "Sir, uh, Lex, I believe this belongs to you." Mr. Queu handed the phone to Lex. Lex looked appreciatively at Queu then at the device.  
  
"Thanks, Queu." He said. Pocketing the small device he clapped the older man on the shoulder and prepared to head toward his father.  
  
Just then, a Tribunal soldier aimed a bazooka at the ceiling and shot a massive energy blast. Half the ceiling above the would-be execution area broke away and started to drop on the party of six. Brennan glanced up and immediately dragged Adam, Helen and Lex down onto the floor next to the metal chairs and crouched over them, as the ceiling came down with a loud groan. Lex glanced up past Brennan's body in time to see Eckhart casually step beside Queu. Mr. Queu was holding up and examining his now- transparent hands as the power source that generated his holographic image silently waned. Both men shimmered for a moment then disappeared into thin air.  
  
"Did you see that?" Lex exclaimed in amazement, looking up from his position on the floor, watching the ceiling collapse down on them.  
  
At the same time, Frank Thorne and Chloe, positioned at the left wing, focused their powers and stopped the huge collapsing mass so that it hovered just a few feet above the ground.  
  
"GO, GO!" Brennan hustled the group out from the suspended mass of stone, steel, wood and plaster.  
  
A Tribunal soldier dropped kicked Frank and broke his concentration. The ceiling dropped a foot lower and stopped its descent as Chloe struggled to hold it up with her telekinetic powers.  
  
"QUEU!" Lex shouted, looking back.  
  
"He's gone," Adam replied. "Lex you've got to move NOW!" Adam pushed Lex toward the outer boundary of the cave-in, looking wildly to the side as he thought he heard Mason Eckhart's voice close by say, "I will prevail, Adam."  
  
Adam, Lex, Brennan and Helen made piteously slow progress toward safety through a rainfall of pipes, beams, and plaster. The ceiling dropped another foot with a metallic groan. The fleeing party crouched as they dropped on all fours and crawled for their lives under the ever dropping mass of rubble.  
  
"GET OUT OF THERE!" Chloe shouted over the noisy ruckus. "I CAN'T HOLD THIS UP ANY MORE!" The young blond strained to hold the massive conglomerate suspended in air and whimpered when she felt her mental control slip away. There was a rumble and screech as tons of metal, stone and debris dropped down on her friends. Chloe could do nothing to stop it. Dust rose up over the pile of rubble. Chloe stared, eyes filled with tears at the spectacle.  
  
"They're OK," Frank Thorne's gravelly voice rasped in her ear. He pointed in the semi-blackness at the small disheveled group of four that were picking themselves off the ground. Frank had sent a telekinetic pulse that swept the fleeing party out from under the collapsing ceiling, just before Chloe's powers gave out. Chloe sniffed and blinked the tears out of her eyes and nodded in gratitude at Frank.  
  
"You did good, kid." He said.  
  
Adam's eyes gleamed as he looked toward Lionel and Mr. Warren watching from the witness section. He clapped Brennan and Lex on the shoulders and looked at Helen.  
  
"Shall we?" He asked. They ran toward Lionel.  
  
******************  
  
Lana and Jesse fought side by side in the midst of the rush of Tribunal soldiers. Jesse alternately massed and phased his body mass to throw their assailants off balance; Lana tossed the soldiers who thought her to be easy prey across the room like dolls.  
  
"I could get to like this," she commented to Jesse.  
  
Jesse looked at her, massing momentarily as a fist connected with his face. A cry of pain emanated from the aggressor. A fist plowed into Jesse's stomach as he exhaled and he doubled over in pain. Lana squeaked as she found that she was unable to shed the pair of arms that held her now. Eyes wild with fear, Lana instinctively stomped on the man's foot, her narrow heel crushing the small bones connecting the ankle with the foot. The arms loosened as the military man pulled his booted leg up in pain. Lana whirled. She grabbed the man by the collar and using her body as leverage, threw him against the wall, head first. The man twitched then lay still.  
  
"Nice move, Lana," Jesse commented, using his attacker's forward momentum to drive him into the nearby wall next to his fallen comrades.  
  
The pretty, Asian girl considered the compliment. "Lex taught me that." She answered as she followed Jesse to meet up with Adam.  
  
********************  
  
Emma wandered around the periphery of the collapsed ceiling, looking ghostly in the haze of dust and soot. She cautiously opened her mind, afraid that her mind would quantum leap into the future again when she needed to be here now. She focused, checking specifically for reassurances that her teammates were alive. There were only two, no, three people that she couldn't account for. Eckhart, she concluded must have been in holographic form here as well as during his visitation with them in the cell, so she couldn't get a hit off him. Mr. Queu was not here either. She had heard Lex's anguished cry as the ceiling came down and could only guess that the unthinkable had happened. She could feel mixed complex emotions coming off Lex. He was so much like Adam, Emma thought. Where was Clark, she wondered. Emma could feel Adam's anger mixed with feelings of loyalty and nearby she could sense incredible evil and cunning. Emma shivered. Even Eckhart didn't give off vibes like that, she thought.  
  
There was a furtive movement to her right. Emma stared. Her grey eyes darkened as she probed. A Tribunal Justice staggered out from his hiding place and stood before Emma. Emma herded the man toward Adam.  
  
********************  
  
Shalimar and Clark jumped two of the three Tribunal Justices in the balcony as they tried to escape and hide.  
  
"Going anywhere?" Clark asked his expression dark and forbidding as he blocked their every attempt to escape at super speed. Shalimar kicked a hapless Tribunal soldier who was aiming his rifle at Clark's back, into oblivion.  
  
Shalimar's lips curled back, all her teeth showing in a Feral smile. She knocked the heads of the two justices together. They fell senseless at her feet.  
  
"Much easier to handle when they're not struggling." Shalimar commented, slinging one Justice over her shoulder. Clark slung the other Justice over his shoulder and grinned. They headed over to Adam.  
  
*********************  
  
"I think I owe you this," Adam told the astonished Defense Counsel. He delivered a bone-crushing blow to the stocky man's jaw. Mr. Warren's head snapped back and he collapsed in a senseless heap.  
  
"Adam, I see you've gotten physical in your old age," Lionel was all smiles.  
  
Adam drew within inches of Lionel's face. "You almost got us all killed," he rasped, his coal black eyes intense.  
  
"Almost Adam? You know my philosophy on Almosts," Lionel replied good- naturedly. Adam stared a moment longer at his old associate. It had been 20 years. He doubted that the man had changed at all. Lionel continued, "I received your information, Adam. I knew I could count on you. Adam, if you ever need to disappear for a season, you know how to reach me."  
  
Adam towered menacingly over Lionel for a moment then smiled. He nodded at Brennan. A bolt of electricity shot from Brennan's hands and flowed over the restraints that held Lionel's hands. The restraints clattered on the floor.  
  
Lionel studied his freed hands then looked up at Lex. "See? I told you that I'd take care of you."  
  
Lana and Jesse came running up at the same time Shalimar and Clark dropped the two Tribunal Justices in front of Adam and Lionel. Lana smiled up at Clark. Clark stared starry eyed at Lana for a moment then came to his senses. Shalimar, noticing the chemistry, smirked. Chloe and Frank Thorne joined them.  
  
"Great job," Adam, Lex, Helen and Brennan exchanged heartfelt thanks and congratulations with the tele-kinetics. Chloe sneaked a look at Clark and her expression saddened as she saw him staring soulfully at Lana. Then she jumped at the hand holding hers and looked up into Brennan's fiery brown eyes.  
  
"What you did today took great self control and inner strength. You might not obtain what your heart desires most today, but you will." The handsome Elemental told the blond teenager as he squeezed her hand and flashed a dazzling smile as he let her go.  
  
"Adam couldn't have said that better," Jesse quipped.  
  
Clark glanced over at Chloe and saw Brennan holding her hand. His brow furrowed thoughtfully and a look of disapproval crossed his face. Chloe looked back at Clark in time to catch his look and to see Shalimar rest her golden mane on Clark's shoulder. Chloe frowned thoughtfully.  
  
The Feral smiled and told Clark, "Hon, you can't have everything, but you can certainly try."  
  
The Justices groaned as they came to and looked up defiantly at Adam and Lionel.  
  
"Does this belong to you?" Emma asked Adam as she guided the third Justice toward his cohorts. "He seems to be lost."  
  
"You won't escape your sentence, Dr. Kane," the bedraggled Chief Justice threatened. "You too, Mr. Luthor. You may have deceived or compromised your Counsel, but we will sentence you as well." He added.  
  
"I'm afraid you're badly mistaken, as to who is sentencing whom," Lionel replied; he looked coolly at Adam, who shrugged.  
  
"Wipe their ID's?" Adam mused.  
  
"Replace them with criminal records?" Lionel suggested.  
  
"Re-channel all their assets?" Lex added. Adam exchanged looks with Lionel who smiled evilly.  
  
"You can't do that!" One of the Justices protested.  
  
"Just watch us." Adam replied, eyes flashing.  
  
********************************************* 


	18. FallOut

Chapter 18 – Fallout.  
  
A/N- I had hoped to finish this story with this chapter, but I think an Epilogue will wrap things up nicely. (next chapter) Thank you soooo much for your reviews, comments and encouragement. Although I'm clearly running off the beaten paths of SV and MX and recreating their histories, I hope this chapter answers more questions than creates them, although, I tend to always leave a thread or two hanging, just in case.... ; )  
  
***************  
  
All was silent in the Tribunal's chambers. An ever-present plume of smoke and dust drifted over the remains of the ceiling that had collapsed into the Tribunal Chamber. A feeble ray of sunlight, captured by a window on the floor above, cast its sickly beam like a searchlight on the scene of devastation.  
  
A bedraggled, dusty, bald-headed young man wearing a wrinkled tan Oxford shirt and grey dress slacks clambered slowly over the pile of rubble. Shoulders rounded with mental and physical weariness, Lex Luthor slowly and carefully stepped through the mountain of beams, shattered plaster and broken glass that had nearly claimed his life, meticulously retracing his steps. "Ah, there you are," Lex thought. He had almost stepped over the crushed remnants of the metal chairs that he and Adam had earlier been restrained in; the place where he had last seen Queu. A fifteen foot 12 by 8 metal girder now lay over the place where the four of them had momentarily huddled for protection. The chairs would not have held the weight of the ceiling off them had they stayed. Lex raised his eyebrows and whistled softly as he sat down on a shattered marble block as if to have a heart to heart conversation with an old friend. He pensively toyed with his phone.  
  
He thought of his last glimpse of Queu, his chief of Research, how the older man's grey hair formed a disheveled mane around his creased face. He could still see the old chap, hazel eyes sparkling with childish fascination at his transparent hands, oblivious to the danger above him. Thinking further back, he remembered the look of acknowledgment that the Prosecutor had shot at him at the moment he had recognized him as the face under Queu's mask. Lex couldn't deny that Adam was right, but if he wasn't, there would be 2 more bodies under that rubble. Lex wearily rubbed his temple with the phone he held in his right hand. His index finger pressed two of the keys together and they made a soft harmonic beep.  
  
"OUCH!" Lex hissed quietly as a sharp projection from his phone suddenly stung the soft flesh it contacted beyond his right eye. Lex gingerly dropped the phone into his other hand and examined it. He could see no sharp edges. Lex gently pressed around the injured area near his right temple. The wound was minute. Already the pain had subsided. Lex shrugged off his annoyance and toyed absently with the row of buttons that Queu had shown him when he first gave him the phone. A miniature CD slid into view. Lex stared at it fascinated, then unobtrusively dropped the one inch disk into his change-pocket. On a whim, Lex dialed Queu's laboratory speed dial number on the number pad and filled with anticipation placed the receiver in his ear.  
  
********************  
  
Lionel Luthor and Adam Kane casually sat in adjacent chairs in the Tribunal's spectator galley, looking out over the ruins, watching Lex as they waited for Adam's team to return.  
  
"Well Adam, that went well, didn't it?" Lionel commented. "I did receive your encoded message through Lex of all people, but never expected a personal visit from you! Did he recognize you?"  
  
The dark-haired scientist raised his shaggy eyebrows and allowed himself a smile as he stretched his lanky frame. "No." Adam answered. "I thought there was a sign of recognition when he first saw me at the mansion, but it turns out that Helen is an avid collector of my literary works. Any recognition was attributed to having looked at the books or the bibliography on the back."  
  
Lionel stroked his trimmed beard with his thumb and index finger and studied Adam. "I never told Lex about the operation you performed on him after Julian died. As you can see, your operation did stabilize his mind from his psychotic break. A couple years later though, when we visited Smallville, Lex got caught in a meteor shower. He lost his hair but his immunity and intellect has been off the scale ever since. Lex is extremely intelligent and compassionate, charismatic, compulsive, has a knack for the stock market and horrible luck with women, just like you."  
  
Adam considered Lionel's assessment and smiled gently. "I think I should be flattered at that profile, Lionel. We were young and idealistic back then. Perhaps I was too eager to fulfill your request to implant your son with my own DNA sequence for intellectual capacity. It made sense at the time, given the child's condition and the resources at the time. I was glad to give him my genetic platform so he could obtain some semblance of mental stability." Adam looked back at Lex then back at Lionel. "It's funny you should mention similarities between Lex and me. Emma had mentioned that during her Psionic episodes she got confused between Lex's and my identities. She was unable to distinguish the difference between Lex and me, said that we kept merging with each other, as if we were the same person, yet uniquely different. It gave her a headache. At the time we attributed this to her head injury." Adam's eyes brightened with excitement. "So, there must be a physiological tag that Psionics use once inside the matrix of a human mind to identify their subject. So that must mean that Psionic ability resides or is based within a physiological matrix!"  
  
Lionel placed a hand on Adam's arm. Now, now Adam. Let's not go rushing off to the lab with your newest inspiration." He shook his head, grinning. "You haven't changed at all."  
  
Adam calmed himself. "While I don't think Lex would have developed New Mutant powers like my other patients who received the animal and molecular and atomic injections, who knows what exposure to the meteor did to enhance my operation." Adam looked back at Lex and his gaze softened. "Working closely with Lex the past couple days, I've observed that he is a steady, intelligent, compassionate man. I couldn't want a better son, Lionel. You must be proud."  
  
*****************  
  
"...at the sound of the beep please leave your name, number and your last message."  
  
A lump formed at the back of Lex's throat at the familiar sound of Queu's clipped voice. He had changed the passcode as he had expected. Clearing his voice resolutely, Lex answered, "Lex, 3, your last message." There was a click as the voice recognition system activated a second message. Lex listened intently. He knew that the message would not repeat itself.  
  
"Lex, if you are listening to this then you have most likely seen me killed. I applaud your native cynicism and audacity to try to call a dead man at home. It grieves me that I will not be reporting in for work tomorrow. I have appreciated your acceptance and sponsorship of me despite the disapproval of both your father and fiancé. I hope that the work I have done for you serves you well. You have a great destiny ahead of you. By your side, I would have seen to it that you succeeded in attaining that destiny, but now all I can offer you is my legacy - I have left you all of the technology that you have witnessed during the last few days.  
  
"Trust no one, Lex. Your life and sanity depends on it. Your greatest enemies will be within your own family and your own circle of friends. Among my parting gifts to you, I have prepared an injection of nanoprobes and built them into the phone that you are holding. They are programmed to build within the human body a Psionic shield, among other things." Lex thoughtfully rubbed his right temple as he continued to listen. "As you know Lex, Dr. Adam Kane has created among his army of New Mutants a species that can invade and influence the human mind called Psionics." Lex nodded. "I have devised a simple defense that repels such an invasion and have successfully tested it on myself. Should you desire to make use of it, you need only press the zero and one button together while keeping the phone in contact with your skin." Lex stared ahead thoughtfully. Was Queu using him as a lab experiment? Queu's voice dropped in pitch so that Lex recognized the voice of the Prosecutor, Mason Eckhart. "Trust no one, Lex Luthor. You know who I am now. In time, you will discover my legacy to you...."  
  
"I know you're still alive, Queu. Will I ever see you again?" Lex said softly, hoping for his chief of Research to answer.  
  
"...you never know, Sir." Queu's voice replied next to him. Lex nearly jumped out of his skin, he stood up and looked around apprehensively. There was no one in sight except for his father and Adam across the way. All was silent except for their quiet conversation that Lex discovered he could hear perfectly well from where he was now standing. Looking about him, he noticed that the room they were in formed a perfect parabola. When he stood up, he was in perfect alignment with the sounds within the building's perfect curve. Glancing down at his feet, he saw were remnants of the interactive holographic array that had been built into the ceiling. Some of the lights were still blinking. Lex examined the panel thoughtfully then picked up what looked like a small circuit board that seemed to have its own power source, and put it in the pocket opposite the one that held the mysterious CD. Lex stooped back down on the rubble pile to where he couldn't hear the conversation across the room, knowing that if he couldn't hear Adam and his dad, they couldn't hear him. Lex then made a special call to his cleanup crew.  
  
*******************  
  
Lionel glanced quickly across the amphitheatre at Lex and noted that he standing, examining a tile-shaped piece of debris.  
  
Lionel gazed at Adam with a hint of bitterness in his smile. "Compassion is not a Luthor trait, Adam. Lex's compassion has been his weakness and he must establish control over it. I've worked for years on this. At least now, he is finally beginning to push back. So many years, Adam."  
  
"Lionel, it was either perform the operation or to have your only child committed to an asylum. It was a risk." Adam reminded his old friend.  
  
Lionel sighed deeply and nodded. "Perhaps if Lex had died, instead of Julian.... Do you have any time altering New Mutants?"  
  
Lex's eyes widened and he froze where he stood, grinding his teeth together to keep in the howl of rage that had been threatening to escape for years.  
  
Adam glanced askance at the long-haired man sitting next to him. "Don't ask questions that you don't want to know the answer to, old friend," he said evasively.  
  
"It's called tough love, Adam. We fathers have to exercise it on stubborn sons." Lionel added with a certain edge in his tone.  
  
The two men sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts.  
  
"It certainly could have been worse, Lionel." Adam said. "I'd have to say that we have met all but one of our goals."  
  
"Eckhart." Lionel stated matter of factly, watching Adam's face darken in response. Lionel continued. "I was wondering about him, Adam. Did it seem to you that he was trying to defend my son, while trying to sentence me to death?" Lionel's expression was curious and thoughtful as he played with the perverse, intriguing idea. From his audio vantage point Lex looked down and smirked wryly at his father's comment.  
  
"I fear that he may have contaminated your son, Lionel."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Eckhart's last appearance was a hologram." Adam hesitated.  
  
"Yes, pray continue." Lionel answered, masking his impatience.  
  
"And so was Mr. Queu's last appearance in this room. The holograms both had the same mark on them, the same originator." Adam leaned toward Lionel intently. "And Queu was not a hologram before they hauled me out of the cell. Lionel, I believe that Lex's Chief of Research was Eckhart himself!"  
  
Lex turned his back on the two men, staring ahead thoughtfully. He had figured that out too. He wondered what Adam and his father would have in store for him now that he was deemed 'contaminated'.  
  
Lionel's gaze was fierce. "Are you sure about this, Adam?" He asked in a calm reasoning tone that belied the intensity in his eyes. Adam nodded, his coal black eyes were shadows on his tense, lined face.  
  
"So where is he now?" Lionel asked pointedly.  
  
Adam shrugged. "That man has more escapes than Houdini." Across the room, Lex turned his back so they wouldn't see him smile.  
  
"Do you think that phone he gave Lex might give us any clues?" Lionel asked.  
  
"Perhaps." Adam replied somberly. "There's no telling with Eckhart."  
  
"Do you think he's with the Dominion?" Lionel asked.  
  
Adam shook his head. "I have contacts there. Eckhart undoubtedly has a sponsor with one of the other Entities or Factions."  
  
"Such as?" Lionel asked. Adam looked quickly at his old friend in time to see an unmistakable glint in the other's brown eyes. Adam allowed himself a ghost of a smile.  
  
"Certainly not our Alliance, Lionel. I've heard rumors that there is a high-tech faction called the Guardian, which if it exists, I have yet to substantiate."  
  
Halfway across the massive arena, Lex stared into the rubble without seeing it as he considered the additional clues that he was overhearing. 'Of course," he thought. "Queu had joked more than once about being my 'illegal guardian.' I wouldn't be surprised if Adam is on the right trail." He absently rubbed at his right temple to ease a vague tingling feeling.  
  
Adam watched Lionel's expression carefully. He seemed to be mulling over a thought, then he met Adam's gaze.  
  
"Adam, we'll need to alter his memories for his protection, of course. Make it so that whatever his relationship was with this Mr. Queu or Eckhart, that thinking of him leaves a sense of uneasiness and mistrust. Can you arrange that?" Lionel's dark eyes glinted maliciously. "Or perhaps he can be programmed to track Eckhart down and put him out of the picture. Lex is certainly capable, since he is so much like yourself, in terms of both genius and resources." Adam glanced to the side as if looking for someone then the two men lapsed back into thoughtful silence.  
  
Lex frowned as he tossed the tile back into the rubble and looked directly across the room at Adam with a hint of anger marring his usually calm demeanor. Lex then started picking his way off the heap of debris. "Alter my memory?" Lex thought angrily as he strode toward the place where his father and Adam sat.  
  
Adam sat silently for several moments, looking every now and then at Lionel, who waited like a vulture for him to speak. "It's not that easy, Lionel." Adam finally answered. "Think of the repercussions. The human mind can be programmed by various therapies: drugs, shock, force, constant persuasive influence-"  
  
"Not if your subject is unwilling." Lex stood behind them, arms folded, his mouth set in a firm line, his blue eyes filled with reproach. "Really, Adam. And I was just beginning to think you a decent sort of person despite your ties to my father."  
  
Lionel turned around and raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. "Lex, we weren't expecting you to eavesdrop on our conversation."  
  
Lex stared accusingly at his father without saying a word. Adam's eyes acknowledged someone behind Lex. Lex whirled around and found Emma staring at him warily, her expressive grey eyes were fully black.  
  
"Emma," Lex said persuasively, raising his hands in front of him. "You don't have to do this." The Telempath didn't reply but fixed her unnerving coal black eyes on Lex's blue-gray ones. After a moment, Emma's eyes widened with alarm and she broke contact. Lex watched the red-head inquisitively as she sighed shakily, stepped back and shot a look of appeal at Adam.  
  
"Are you all right, Emma?" Lex asked gently, reaching out to take her hand.  
  
Emma breathed deeply and closed her eyes. She waved Lex away. "I'm fine, thank you," she told him, trying not to offend him. Emma looked past Lex and noticed that Lionel was studying her with great interest. She looked up at Adam, who had stepped next to her.  
  
Emma smiled unconvincingly. "I just had another 'episode' Adam," she said softly.  
  
Adam gave her shoulders a little squeeze. "It was barely noticed," he replied softly. "Lex?"  
  
Lex Luthor looked inquiringly at Adam. "Is there a problem?" He asked.  
  
"I'm sorry about Mr. Queu. I'm sure he was a valued employee." Adam replied, watching his expression.  
  
Lex's countenance remained calm, his eyes clear as he pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Yes," the bald man replied contemplatively then shrugged. "I'm sure I will miss him."  
  
"Give me your phone, Lex," Lionel said suddenly.  
  
Lex rubbed at the persistent tingling in his right temple then obediently reached into his pocket. "Sure. No problem." He replied, pulling the phone out of his pocket. He handed it to his father without emotion. Lionel looked at the phone, then at his son with a poorly concealed look of triumph. 


	19. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
Adam Kane had just completed his business with Lionel Luthor and was heading back to the VTOL. The whole week had been intense, he thought.  
  
While the residents of Smallville and Metropolis retired to their respective homes, the members of Mutant X congregated in the VTOL that Adam had arrived in days ago and had parked in a secluded area near the Smallville hospital. Brennan had his feet up on the control console and was sprawled back in the pilot's chair. Knees bent, Jesse fitted his lean frame into a small ledge-like compartment in the back of the cabin. Leaning his head against the wall, he dozed. Emma sat cross-legged in one of the rear chairs like a statue, her eyes closed. To all appearances, they were dead to the world.  
  
Shalimar, having already made the rounds with Emma and Jesse now stood behind Brennan, rubbing his shoulders gently. The dark haired Elemental closed his eyes and sighed blissfully. He felt the strong slender fingers slowly knead a path across his shoulders and back in small gentle circles. After a few minutes her fingers stopped their careful ministrations, but her hands remained on him, warm pads on either side of his neck as the tension drained out of him. Brennan tilted his head back, slowly nestling his cheek against the Shalimar's arm as he did so. The back of his head came to rest against the Feral's firm abdomen. Brennan opened his eyes looking up to meet Shalimar's playful brown eyes above the outline of her torso. Reaching up quietly with both arms, the dark-haired Elemental gently grasped Shalimar's upper arms and smiling, drew her face down toward his....  
  
Just then the door to the VTOL whooshed open and Adam stepped inside. The scientist caught the mischievous looks on their faces and looked down, pretending that he didn't know what they had been up to. He waved Brennan back as the younger man started to get out of his chair and stood next to co-pilot chair. Jesse yawned and lightly dropped out of his compartment and plopped himself into the chair next to Emma. He sat there for a moment, watching his beautiful teammate's expression as she sat statue- like, with her eyes closed. Emma slowly opened her clear gray eyes and exchanged an intimate look with Jesse before looking up at Adam. Adam smiled knowingly at Emma and Jesse. He surveyed his young team members.  
  
"I'm happy to say that we've accomplished our mission." Adam said, watching the group for reaction. "The Tribunal has been dissolved and no longer poses a threat."  
  
"What about Eckhart?" Brennan asked.  
  
Adam shook his head, scowling. "He's alive. It was his hologram that was apparently destroyed, so I'm afraid he slithered away again.  
  
"He can't have gotten too far Adam." Jesse busied himself at the computer console, typing in key words for clues.  
  
"Try Thaddeus Queu," Adam instructed, his eyes pained at how easily Eckhart had deceived all of them, cultivating their trust under a different identity. He had grossly underestimated their enemy. Adam wondered how Emma and Shalimar had missed the physical and mental cues that the man should have left. Right under their noses, Adam thought, shaking his head in somber disbelief, with Lex Luthor as his protégé. Adam wondered if Emma had been able to fully reprogram Lex Luthor.  
  
"Hey, we're alive and well," Shalimar said warmly, interrupting his thoughts. Adam smiled. Suddenly the future didn't look so bleak.  
  
"And we've made new friends," Emma added.  
  
"It's hard to believe that there are other kinds of Mutants out there." Brennan commented.  
  
Adam replied, "Those are Mutants that were born of Meteor rock exposure however I'm not surprised that Lorna Templeton and Frank Thorne made their way here. Perhaps in some way they hoped to fit in. It's too bad that society is still not ready for the new dimensions that Mutated humans bring. Frank has elected to join the Underground and he is already en- route to his new location."  
  
Jesse grinned. "I guess Lionel didn't pay him enough." Adam smiled mysteriously and looked away. Emma opened her eyes and looked at him thoughtfully.  
  
"You and Lionel Luthor go back a ways, don't you." Emma observed, lifting an eyebrow as an invitation for Adam to fill them in. The older man shrugged.  
  
"We teamed up for a brief time before Genomex, I was trying to sell one of my inventions and not having much luck, Lionel was looking for a product to sell. We did well." Adam's dark eyes warmed at the memory. He shrugged.  
  
Shalimar looked mystified. "What on earth were you trying to sell, Adam?"  
  
Adam had an odd, bemused expression. "Wallet sized cell phones." He replied. "Lionel got us a contract with the US Government." He smiled. "Remember, this was the 1970's." Everyone chuckled at visions of Adam with an Afro hairdo, wearing bell bottoms trying to sell cell phones. "The military was very interested in my improvement of the conventional telephone. They apparently did some homework; about a year later, I was approached with an offer I couldn't refuse."  
  
"Genomex." Brennan finished for Adam. The dark-haired man nodded with a tight smile, then stood up, changing the direction of the conversation.  
  
"The Double-Helix has been removed from LexCorp's basement laboratory," Adam said. "I accepted Lex's invitation for all of us to join him and our new friends at the Talon later today. I thought it might be a good way wrap things up, get things back to normal."  
  
"Whatever 'normal' is," Shalimar finished with a smug grin.  
  
Adam looked at Emma and met her troubled gaze. "You up to it, Em?" The red headed Telempath looked down to avoid Adam's eyes.  
  
"Adam," Emma said. "I'm not sure if I succeeded in redirecting Lex's mind. When I touched his mind back there in the Tribunal Chamber, I had another episode." Adam watched Emma shudder and hug herself as if cold. "He was there for a moment, and then he became you. When I approached him, I was violently pushed back, as if I had walked into a force field. When I regained my balance, I found myself in an institution wrapped in a strait- jacket. When I looked in a mirror, I saw Lex's reflection." Emma looked scared. "It was so real. Do you think that is what's in store for Lex?"  
  
"Emma," Adam protested gently.  
  
Emma looked thoughtfully at Adam. "It's as if you two are somehow locked together." Her grey eyes widened as she realized that Adam was neither shocked nor surprised at her outrageous idea. "You know something about this, don't you?"  
  
Adam stared ahead, wishing they could move on, wishing that he had not had to personally intervene with this mission. Things could have been different if the Tribunal had not taken interest in the Luthors, if Eckhart had not somehow gotten involved and interfered with his plans.  
  
Adam nodded ruefully, aware of the curiosity of the others, knowing that they could and would obtain this information eventually if so inclined. Still, he was fascinated with the information that Emma had unwittingly disclosed. That placed the realm of Psionics totally within a physiological framework. With a motion of his hands, Adam explained the circumstances of how Lex came to be the recipient of his DNA.  
  
"So you and Lex Luthor have genetically identical intellects?" Jesse asked.  
  
Adam shrugged, "Actually, we have identical genetic coding for intellectual capacity and access. It's like being identical twins in that respect. What we individuals put into our minds during our lifetime makes us unique." Adam motioned at the others. "From what Emma has experienced in her connections with both Lex and me, I'm learning that Psionic connections may have a physiological foundation." Adam's eyes flashed with excitement. "Emma, if you don't mind, I'd love to explore this further with your help. Of course we'll have to find some identical twins."  
  
The red-head smiled indulgently at her mentor's childlike excitement at this discovery. She was relieved that she wasn't losing her mind and that all of this was actually making sense. There were only two questions left. "Adam, I was wondering if you had any idea as to what may have caused these, for lack of a better description, precognitive episodes. And if they are precognitive, I'm worried at what I saw, and I'm still not sure Lex has put all of this behind."  
  
Adam studied Emma's earnest expression. "I would have to attribute your visions for now, either to the head injury you sustained in the crash, to the presence of meteor rock in this area, or to the possibility that you're evolving a new ability. As for what you saw, I believe that the Future is an infinite set of possibilities. You may have accessed some of the possibilities, but were you to explore further, I'm sure you would find other threads of possibilities." Adam turned away as if to sit down, and then looked back at her. "Lex seemed perfectly cooperative about giving Lionel his last relic of Mr. Queu and didn't bat an eye when I asked him about him. Perhaps you did get through to him, despite your difficulty. I'm sure we'll find out."  
  
Emma nodded. Shalimar shrugged and grinned at her. "Or maybe he's got some kind of force field against Psionics inside that bald head of his." Gentle laughter rippled through the small room.  
  
"Does he know, Adam?" Jesse asked.  
  
"C'mon, Jesse. He was just a kid and probably saw Adam for all of 5 minutes." Brennan answered. "If his dad didn't tell him, he probably doesn't remember."  
  
"I think if I had Adam's mental capacity, I'd certainly remember," Shalimar commented.  
  
"Lionel doesn't think so." Adam replied. "That's not the point. As you know, I originally sent you to carry out the mission. There would have been no further contact with my patient. Things did not work out that way. The main thing is that the mission was not about a reunion with a former patient. It was about destroying the Tribunal and you accomplished that with great ingenuity and success."  
  
"And with a little bit of help," Jesse pointed out. "What will we do with them? Can we trust them?"  
  
"We're going to find out." Adam answered. "We'll be having a little get together at the Talon at 3:00 this afternoon.  
  
"I heard their coffee is great." Brennan said to Jesse.  
  
********************** Inside the mansion, Lex took Helen in his arms. After a long, passionate kiss, he gazed down at her as she lay back on the overstuffed leather sofa. "I almost lost you, Helen. Are you sure you have to go to work at the hospital? I can provide everything for you."  
  
Helen smiled uneasily and sat up. "Lex, I made it clear to you that my profession is my life. You cannot take that from me and expect me to be happy." The slender woman straightened her attire. "I'll only be an hour or so to clear up any paperwork or questions, after all, I've been AWOL for the past week."  
  
Tossing her long dark hair behind her shoulders, Helen Bryce stood up. Touching Lex's hand lightly, she said, "I'll see you at the Talon." Lex watched her walk casually out the doors, admiring her poise and beauty. As the door closed behind her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny disc, no larger than a half-dollar that he had extracted from Queu's phone and smiled.  
  
************************* As Chloe and Lana finished with their showers, they picked clean outfits for the get-together at the Talon.  
  
"So which do you think is cuter, Brennan or Jesse?" Lana teased. Chloe's mischievous grin appeared at the doorway.  
  
"I think they're both spoken for," Chloe replied, eyes dancing.  
  
Lana wrinkled her nose at her friend. "I just wanted to know where they fall on your cuteness scale," she protested.  
  
Chloe inspected her nails. "Well, I think that Adam and Frank are pretty good looking...." The perky blond looked up casually at Lana and laughed out loud at the look of disbelief on her friend's face.  
  
*************** Clark had showered, changed his clothes, and was now wolfing down the meal that his mom had prepared. Pete walked in. "Need a ride?"  
  
Clark smiled a welcome through a mouth full of food, handed his friend a clean plate and motioned for Pete to have a seat. Pete grinned and helped himself to the fresh home-made bread that Martha had baked, and then opened the oven.  
  
"Ribs! Aw man, Clark, your mom sure knows how to cook!" Pete said enthusiastically.  
  
"She sure does," Jonathan Clark said, as he entered the room with his arm around the beaming Martha Kent.  
  
"You boys take your time eating and don't overdo it. I don't want you getting indigestion from rushing around; you have plenty of time before your party," Martha Kent chided in a motherly fashion.  
  
"Yes Ma'm," Clark and Pete answered in unison.  
  
*************  
  
3:00pm TALON- Soft background music and subdued but good lighting created a relaxing atmosphere at the Talon. The aroma of coffee with undertones of chocolate, nuts and almond pervaded the busy, sprawling coffee shop. Customers clustered around small round tables, or gathered in booths, reading while sipping their favorite beverage or chatting with friends. The décor's earthy undertones created a welcome refuge for the large group of newly made friends that gathered in a private booth that had been set aside for this special occasion.  
  
Lana Lang made her rounds through the coffee parlor that she managed, making sure that her customers were taken care of. It was a moderately busy night, but her staff was well trained. Satisfied with the operations, she headed for the special function area that was in the back of the Talon behind a set of large oak doors. Lex had recently approved this expansion of the Talon's operations into the old Amphitheatre. Though unfinished, the room was presentable and most importantly, private. There would be a party of eleven here this afternoon. She turned the corner and slowly pushed open the door.  
  
Clark, Chloe and Pete greeted her as she walked into the spacious room. "Pete! Where have you been?" Lana exclaimed.  
  
Pete looked around as if someone might be eavesdropping then confided, "I don't know. I think I might have been written out of the story. Did I miss anything?"  
  
Chloe grinned at Pete as Lana hugged him affectionately. "You know, they keep doing that to you!" She said.  
  
Lana critically inspected the layout of the oversized room. Hours ago, Lex had suggested that they all meet here instead of at the mansion. When she asked him why here in the unfinished room, he told her that there was still some restorative work that needed to be finished at the mansion. Lana didn't question her boss' answer; she was excited at the idea of using this room for the first time. It would be private and in the midst of the warm, hospitable environment of the coffee shop.  
  
Music played softly in the background. Light danced off the ivory plastered walls from the wall-lanterns, leaving swirls of shadow interplaying with light. The restored wooden floor, newly waxed, glistened in varying shades of browns. The great chandelier glittered and shed golden ambient rays over the center of the echoing grand hall.  
  
To the right, a long table covered with a white, linen tablecloth was set up against the wall near the door with several carafes of coffees and teas; pitchers of water and crystal service sets of cream and sugar. Lana had arranged for two long tables to be set up in an 'L' formation several feet away from the beverage table. There were plates of cheese and crackers, pastries, chips and fruits set along the table as well as set on another long table positioned a couple feet away from the beverage table. Lana nodded in satisfaction. The old Amphitheatre made a marvelous function room. Despite the fact that the room was more spacious than they needed, everyone seemed content to hang out in the quarter of the room nearest the entry.  
  
Lex had made it a point to arrive early and greet his friends and the Mutant X guests as they arrived. He wore black slacks and a black silk shirt that closely fit his athletic physique. Helen would arrive a little later, as soon as she could leave the hospital. His friends were here now and clustered in a couple small groups around the quarter of the great hall that had been set up for them. The rest of the spacious room was clean and well lit, open space. Lex smiled to himself. They would prefer it that way, no surprises. He exchanged friendly banter with Clark and his friends. Soon, Lex thought. He noticed that along with his fiancé and Mutant X, his father was hadn't arrived yet.  
  
Moments later, Adam, Shalimar, Emma, Brennan and Jesse filed into the large room. Lex walked over to shake hands and greet them. As Emma took Lex's hand, she looked searchingly at him. At the same time Lex looked searchingly at her. Both smiled and shrugged. Adam stepped in to break up the awkward moment and shook Lex's hand.  
  
Lex smiled easily at Adam. "It's been an intense week." Adam looked at Lex strangely. "Dad and Frank didn't come in with you Adam?" Lex asked, feigning polite surprise.  
  
The tall, dark eyed scientist shook his head. "No, Lionel had other business to attend to and Frank had to leave unexpectedly."  
  
Lex smiled as he studied Adam. "I guess someone has to tend the store. How are our three friends? Were they surprised?"  
  
Adam's eyes hardened for a moment, and then he smiled. "I found an unexpected deposit made into one of my personal accounts, Lex." Adam raised an eyebrow. Emma looked questioningly at Adam. Outwardly, her leader was calm, but internally he was literally shouting, "VERY PRIVATE ACCOUNT, HOW COULD YOU HAVE ACCESSED IT!"  
  
Lex smiled graciously, still studying Adam. "You're welcome, Adam."  
  
"Lex," Emma said, "What I don't understand is why you handed the phone that Mr. Queu gave you so easily to your father. I would have thought you'd fight to keep it. We all saw its recording capability and I'm sure that it had information that you would prefer to explore yourself."  
  
Lex looked into Emma's clear gray eyes, wondering, then shrugged easily. "Why wouldn't I want to give the phone to my Dad? He's family."  
  
"And Queu? How do you feel about him?" Adam prodded.  
  
Lex turned slowly to face Adam, his expression guarded. "I know he's alive, Adam. You made a very good case for that while we were running for our lives. I know that if he's able to, he'll return to me when he's ready. I believe I owe him a paycheck."  
  
He looked at Emma then questioningly at Adam. Adam nodded gently at the red-headed Telempath and she left to join Chloe and Shalimar.  
  
"Does she know everything?" Lex asked.  
  
"She knows what she needs to know." Adam replied evasively.  
  
Lex looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. "I know all about my childhood operation, Adam." Lex said pointedly, "And my baby brother. There's not a day that passes even now, when I wonder what I could have done then to change history, or what I could do to make things right." Adam looked gravely into Lex's eyes, understanding.  
  
Lex continued. "It seems to me in retrospect that we are of a kind; twins would be more like it, seeing that we share some of your genetic material, Adam. How much of my life was altered because my own DNA for mental capacity was replaced with yours? Do you excel at playing the stock market? Do you have genius IQ? Do you have horrible luck with women?"  
  
Adam's expression was unreadable as he gently clasped Lex's shoulder. "How did you find all of this out, Lex? You never let on to Lionel that you remembered, let alone found out the particulars of the Genetic Re- sequencing procedure that was performed on you."  
  
"Some things are better left unsaid, Adam." Lex replied mysteriously, watching Clark, Lana, Pete and Chloe laugh together over a basket of fruit at the table.  
  
Lex continued as they walked into the open, empty part of the function room. "Remember, I think like you, Adam. You gave that to me. But my personal encounter with a meteor in the middle of a corn field a year later, turbo-boosted the intellectual capacity that you wired into me. Although I will undoubtedly spend a fortune and the rest of my life to find out what makes me tick, there is no doubt in my mind that I owe my life to you and to that meteor shower. I guess you could say that I was reborn in that corn field."  
  
At that moment, Clark Kent looked up and stared directly at them. He radiated excitement and gratitude for a moment but then looked away when he noticed Adam watching him. Adam had a sneaking feeling that even from halfway across the room, Clark had heard everything.  
  
Lex looked directly at Adam and gestured toward the others, his friends. "The events of the past few days won't be easy to forget, Adam."  
  
"I know," the dark haired leader replied. "I need to assess the damage. Perhaps we can control it."  
  
Lex raised an eyebrow. "You mean, make us forget?" "No, Lex" Adam replied gently. "What happened has happened. We need to obtain closure, make sure that everyone is all right."  
  
"And make sure that we won't blow your cover." Lex added with a watchful, friendly smile, watching the expression on Adam's face. "Did you make my father forget?"  
  
Adam avoided the question and replied, "There was a great deal of physical damage that we collectively repaired and returned to close to original state. There remains to assess the psychic or emotional damage and to wrap up loose ends."  
  
Lex absently rubbed his right temple. "I think we can all keep your secret, if you can keep ours."  
  
"We'll see." Adam replied. "Shall we?" Adam asked. Lex nodded and the two men headed to the table. Shalimar and Jesse sat on either side of the girls along the length of one table and the adjoining one, while Brennan and Pete sat across from Shalimar and Chloe on the other side. Emma picked the seat kitty-corner from Jesse and the two were quietly discussing something. Clark parked himself next to Emma, leaving the three seats at the end of his table empty.  
  
"Yo, Jesse, can you send some of those deserts this way?" Pete asked the blond man across from him.  
  
Helen slipped into the room unobtrusively while Adam and Lex were having their private conversation and sat alone at the end of Clark's table.  
  
"Can I get you anything, Dr. Bryce?" Clark asked, leaning across the empty place next to him toward the slender woman at the end of the table.  
  
Helen smiled. "Oh, I'm fine, Clark. How are you feeling? You seemed so ill this past week." The doctor frowned slightly as something started to make sense to her about this strange farm boy.  
  
"I feel better now," Clark replied with a worried expression.  
  
Helen Bryce smiled reassuringly at Clark as Adam and Lex approached them holding cups of coffee. "It's OK, Clark," she said.  
  
Lex stood behind Helen for a moment and gently touched her shoulder, then sat next to Clark. Adam took the seat opposite Lex and leaned back.  
  
Shalimar motioned at Lana, Chloe and Pete. "Brennan and I were debating if there were any points of interest in Smallville or in Metropolis that we would be sorry we missed if we didn't visit them before we leave."  
  
"Smallville?" Pete echoed. "Well, if you've been to the Smallville Hospital, Lex's mansion, the police station and the Talon, you've pretty much hit all the hot spots of Smallville." Pete grinned at the group around him. "Now Metropolis on the other hand...." Pete regaled the group around him with examples and stories of places of interest.  
  
Focused on Pete's wisecracks, Jesse and Emma reached for the same cracker at the same time, touched fingers, stared at each other then laughed gently. Lana turned to look at them and saw Clark, to the left of Emma staring wistfully at her. The young brunette blushed and looked down for a moment. When she looked back at Clark, Lex had gotten his attention and was discussing something quietly with him.  
  
Helen Bryce touched Lex's shoulder. He nodded. Turning to Adam she said, "Adam, I just wanted to say how happy I am to have met you in person. This ordeal was," the beautiful woman twisted a stray lock of her long dark hair as she struggled for a word, "very interesting and enlightening. Perhaps I will start a study of the effects of meteor rock on human subjects." Her dark brown eyes sparkled with laughter at Adam's guarded reaction. "Here." She handed him a small, gift-wrapped rectangular box that looked like it might hold a pen. "I hope you and your friends will keep in touch."  
  
Adam looked incredibly like a child at Christmas as he accepted the gift. "Thank you," he said sincerely. Then with a gleam in his eyes he asked, "May I open it?" knowing that a sample of Clark's blood would be in the box. Helen nodded. Adam lifted the gilded cover and removed the expensive pen.  
  
Helen smiled and shrugged. "I hope you like it."  
  
Adam, feeling a slight additional weight concealed in the box, carefully set it on the table and passed the pen around the table. "I know I will," he replied. Brennan whistled softly when the pen reached him and made a show of pocketing it.  
  
"Uh uh," Adam warned the Elemental. Brennan with an innocent look, automatically handed Pete the pen, then Pete returned it to Adam. Adam returned the pen into the box and placed it in his lapel pocket.  
  
"I would have asked you to autograph my copy of your book, but Lex didn't think it appropriate," Helen added.  
  
"Adam writes books?" Brennan exclaimed.  
  
"Didn't you know?" Shalimar replied in mock surprise.  
  
"It's required reading." Jesse told Brennan, straight faced.  
  
"You get a 10% salary increase if you pass the comprehensive exam after reading 'Genetic Sequencing of the Mustard Seed'," Emma stated matter of factly.  
  
Brennan looked around the table at his teammates in disbelief. Lana, Chloe, Pete and Clark watched the conversation with great interest. "Why is it that no one has told me that?" Brennan complained. Suddenly Emma smirked and the table burst out laughing.  
  
After the laughter had died down a little, Clark looked questioningly at Chloe and Lana.  
  
"Hey Clark, you look like you're bursting with curiosity," Pete kidded. "What's on your mind, man?"  
  
Clark blushed at the attention from everyone at the table. Looking nervously at Chloe, Lana, then at Helen Bryce he finally said, "Well, how did it feel to have super powers?"  
  
Chloe opened her mouth as if to say something, her eyes were wistful and merry all at the same time, then she closed it and smiled.  
  
"Chloe?"  
  
"I have to say, I definitely liked it." Chloe said. It felt so natural, even though I knew sending energy blasts was an unnatural thing. I wish it could never end. But I'll get on with life, be content with what I am and make my own impression on the world.  
  
"Lana?"  
  
The dark-haired teenager shrugged. "I liked having the sudden infusion of super strength, but that's not me. I want to build my own strengths with my own efforts and with the help of friends."  
  
"Helen?"  
  
Lex's fiancé smiled. "It was definitely me. I enjoyed the super strength and even more, I loved having the ability to self heal and to heal others. The power was a natural extension of me. If I could ever repeat the experience, I would."  
  
Clark looked at Shalimar. "I shouldn't have to ask but I will. Have you always liked being different from the rest of society?"  
  
The blonde woman smiled at Clark. "I love what I am. I may not have understood what was going on at first, but with Adam's help, I learned about myself and how to direct my powers in a satisfying and constructive way. I think that there should be a New Mutant hotline for all Mutants." The Feral said, looking at Adam.  
  
"I'd be happy to extend our services to Meteor Rock Mutants," Adam replied.  
  
"I wish I could understand why society doesn't accept people who have gifts." Clark added, looking down.  
  
Chloe gave him a quizzical look. "C'mon Clark. You've seen my Wall of Weird. Not all Mutants are nice guys like we were."  
  
Lana asked Adam, "Do you think we're safe from the Tribunal, Adam?" The older man exchanged looks with Lex and nodded.  
  
"I would say so," Adam replied after sipping his coffee. "We came here to identify and apprehend this group and we have succeeded in doing so. The Tribunal has been disbanded. There will be no more problems with them."  
  
"What happened to the Prosecutor, Mr. Eckhart?" Helen asked.  
  
"He's technically not a member of the Tribunal, Helen. Eckhart is still at large," Adam answered seriously. "We've already started a search for him. It shouldn't be long before we locate and apprehend him."  
  
"Adam, do you really think he's worth your effort? After all, he seemed to be a pawn of the Tribunal." Lex suggested mildly.  
  
Adam looked suspiciously at Lex when Chloe, face flushed with excitement said, "I might be able to track down the Prosecutor, Mr. Eckhart." Lex and Adam looked at her curiously.  
  
"Why on earth would you want to do that?" Pete asked.  
  
Chloe explained, "Just curious, I guess. I ran a computer check on the building we were in and tracked the activities and maintenance that were performed over the last 10 years. While most of the contractors checked out, there was a technical contractor that installed the security system who seemed to be overqualified for the simple work he allegedly did. I tracked him down."  
  
At the mention of computer check, Jesse perked up.  
  
"Gee, Chloe. And I thought Jesse was the computer whiz kid." Brennan kidded. Chloe blushed at the compliment.  
  
"Seriously though, Chloe, once you tracked this contractor down, what made you link him to Eckhart?" Jesse asked. Chloe was clearly excited and animatedly explained her theory to the group.  
  
Adam nodded in acknowledgement. "That's excellent investigative work." His expression became concerned. "So what are your intentions, Chloe? I understand that you are planning to write an article about our little adventure?"  
  
Chloe looked at Adam in surprise. "Oh no, Adam, I would never expose your operation. I understand your survival depends on secrecy. I do have ethics."  
  
Adam looked at Emma who nodded. "She's sincere about this, Adam." She said softly.  
  
Adam turned his gaze back to Chloe and nodded graciously. "I do appreciate your sacrificing a story in order to protect individuals' right to privacy. I am however, concerned with your continued involvement with one of our chief subjects of investigation. Let us take it from here. I don't want any more lives endangered. You are pursuing an extremely dangerous man."  
  
Chloe looked at Adam with conflicting emotions. He gazed into her eyes. "It's all right, Chloe. You have done excellent work and we thank you."  
  
Emma stood up and turned to the group at her left. Making eye contact with Clark, Lex and Helen, she continued, "The help you have given us was invaluable. I hope you will refrain from discussing this experience with anyone outside of this group." Emma sent a Psionic reprogramming thread to Helen, who nodded agreement. Emma looked questioningly at Clark. Once again as she noticed a few days ago, she could sense his presence, but could not get inside his mind. Clark's eyes were full of honesty and sincerity. She smiled knowing that even without her influence, he would comply with her request. Emma looked at Lex. Bracing herself, she sent him a light telempathic tap.  
  
Emma felt herself step into nothingness, forever and ever. Suddenly she was  
facing a Helen Bryce whose face was transformed with rage and hatred.  
Looking into the mirror Emma saw Lex's face. A door opened before  
her. Below was a thousand foot drop from the falling plane to the  
ground. Emma gasped. Suddenly the universe shifted and Emma found  
herself watching Lex, wrapped in a strait jacket, restrained to the  
floor with a metal cage. "Help me," he cried. Clark Kent appeared  
from nowhere and freed him, ripping the cage off the floor with his  
bare hands. Lex's expression was full of gratitude. "I knew you'd  
come back." Suddenly a bloodied, beaten Clark was dragged away,  
groaning, called out "Lex!"  
  
Emma willed herself to return to the present. Lex, Adam, Helen and Clark were staring at her curiously.  
  
"Are you all right, Emma?" Helen asked, concerned.  
  
"Uh," Emma started to say.  
  
"You were on the part where you hoped we would refrain from discussing this with anyone outside our group," Clark said, "when you seemed to lose your train of thought for a moment."  
  
"Oh. I must have gotten stage fright or something," Emma covered. "I'm not used to talking to so many people. Anyways," she looked guardedly at Lex and Helen, "our lives depend upon your secrecy."  
  
Adam stood up and took Emma's hand reassuringly. "Thank you all for your friendship and your support. Without your involvement on our behalf, some of us may not have made it here to this point. I wish you the best of health and good fortune." Adam then raised his mug of coffee and looked at each person in the group.  
  
"Here, here," everyone responded to the tall dark-haired scientist as he, smiling, sat down. Individual conversations started up again and people started moving around again, hugs, kisses and well-wishes were exchanged.  
  
"Adam," Emma whispered urgently, "Helen is going to try to kill Lex. I saw it."  
  
Adam shook his head and said, "We cannot interfere in their affairs, Emma." When Emma started to protest again, Adam's eyes blazed. "Don't." He said softly, almost menacingly. Emma, shaken, took a deep breath and stepped back.  
  
"Nice place you've got here Lana," Jesse commented.  
  
Lana smiled happily. "Best coffee in town." Jesse towered over Lana and looked at her gravely for a moment. "You take care of yourself, ok?" Lana looked up at the handsome blond man that she had nearly gotten herself past the point of no return with. She blushed and nodded. Jesse kissed her gently on the top of her head and touched her hand gently as he walked over to Chloe to wish her well.  
  
"So Clark," Lex looked inquisitively at his friend, "How are you feeling?"  
  
The dark haired youth half smiled. "At least I'm not feeling like someone sucked out my energy and put cold water in my veins."  
  
"You did look like you had been put through the wringer. I was seriously worried about you. I wish I could have done something to help you." Lex answered as he and Clark walked toward the larger group. Lex took a deep breath and looked around. These people had been through hell on his and his father's account. He brightened at the warmth of the gathering.  
  
"Your friendship has helped me, more than you can know Lex." Clark said quietly.  
  
"So, we are being mandated to silence about this affair?" Lex asked.  
  
"Naw, just keep it between ourselves," Clark grinned.  
  
"Sounds reasonable," Lex replied.  
  
Adam watched the gathering break up from a distance. He doubted that they would ever meet again. He wondered if these experiences would have happened if Mutant X had not gone on this mission. Adam was sure that the Luthors would have been killed had they not intervened... then again, his eyes wandered to Clark Kent who stood at Lex's side and he wondered. Clark was shaking hands with Brennan, while Lex gave Shalimar a quick hug. The strapping teenager had abilities like theirs and lived in a private world that Adam knew only too intimately.  
  
Clark had a great destiny ahead of him. Adam looked at Lex wondering about how the son of Lionel Luthor would turn out with his meteor-charged frame of mind. The young millionaire had found a way to repel Emma's influence and had Eckhart's hand on him somehow. Adam puzzled about the connection between Lex and Clark. Adam nodded at Emma to finish what she started.  
  
The Telempath took a deep breath and projected a final dampening field toward the group, focusing especially on Chloe, Lana and Pete. Their memories would remain, but the intensity of their experiences would abate. She would ride through whatever feedback Lex's mind would push back at her and Clark would, of course, be oblivious to her influence.  
  
Lex looked away for a moment, head bowed as he pressed his fingers against his temples. "Are you all right, Lex?" Clark asked, staring at Lex concernedly.  
  
"I'm fine, Clark. Thanks." Lex Luthor said straightening, looking at his friend's concerned gaze and clapped him on the shoulder. It was great to have a friend like Clark.  
  
Clark looked at him sympathetically then, looking up saw Emma wink at him just before she followed Adam through the doors, back to their world.  
  
All was well in Smallville.  
  
THE END.  
  
A/N- Thank you all for your feedback and encouraging messages. I wish you all well, God bless. 


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